St. Petersburg, Fla. (April 25, 2019) – SPCA Tampa Bay Veterinary Center today announced it has recently received a $50,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, to help fuel its spay and neuter efforts in Pinellas County. With the help of this grant, SPCA Tampa Bay Veterinary Center is offering spay and neuter services for cats and dogs for only $10 until June 26, 2019.
Pinellas County pet owners who can show proof of financial hardship can schedule a $10 spay or neuter surgery with SPCA Tampa Bay Veterinary Center – a service that typically costs $40-$45 for cats and $60 or more for dogs.
“Overpopulation is a huge problem in Pinellas County, making shelters become overrun with unwanted litters,” said Martha Boden, CEO of SPCA Tampa Bay. “We are thankful for this grant from PetSmart Charities to help us provide reduced-cost spay and neuter services, and help us reduce the number of pets that become homeless.”
A cat that hasn’t been spayed can produce 2,107 kittens in only four years, and many of those kittens may go to local animal shelters. Pet owners can help reduce the number of homeless pets by spaying or neutering their pets, which prevents unexpected litters of kittens and puppies.
Plus, spaying and neutering pets increases their life expectancy, decreases the likelihood of certain types of cancer and saves money on future veterinary bills. Pet behavior often improves too.
“We are pleased to support animal welfare organizations like SPCA Tampa Bay Veterinary Center, that bring accessible and affordable spay/neuter services to local communities. It is our hope that this initiative will increase opportunities for Pinellas County residents to access veterinary care services,” said Sima Thakkar, regional relationship manager at PetSmart Charities.
PetSmart Charities aims to proactively prevent pet homelessness. Since 1994, the organization has granted more than $100 million to support spay and neuter efforts across the United States.
To take advantage of reduced-cost spay and neuter services, pet owners must make an appointment by calling (727) 220-1770 and pay $10 fee to reserve the appointment. The appointment will be scheduled on a Wednesday from today through June 26.
Pet owners will drop off their dog or cat on their scheduled appointment day between 7:30- 8:15 a.m. and pick up the pet on the same day between 3- 5 p.m. The pet owner will need to show proof of financial hardship in the form of an EBT card, Medicaid status, pay stub or similar document.
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About SPCA Tampa Bay
SPCA Tampa Bay is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that transforms the lives of animals through passionate collaboration with its community. It operates Pinellas County’s only non-profit animal shelter that assists all animals in need, regardless of species or circumstance, at its 10-acre campus in Largo. It also operates a full-service veterinary hospital in St. Petersburg that is open to all pet owners and provides pets with a lifetime of high-quality care including dental and surgical procedures, diagnostic testing, annual exams, vaccines and spay/neuter. Founded in 1940, SPCA Tampa Bay has cared for millions of homeless, surrendered, and injured animals. For more information: spcatampabay.org.
About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps to find forever homes and families for more than 500,000 shelter pets each year. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to nonprofits aligned with its mission under key areas of support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting almost $340 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart Inc., PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, a third-party organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 15 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.