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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — SPCA Florida is partnering with Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd to help curtail the number of animals coming into the local shelter.
The facility saw a massive influx of cats after over 300 animals were removed from a mobile home near Frostproof last month. On Thursday, SPCA announced the organization took in 56 cats from that case.
This year, SPCA aims to spay and neuter an additional 4,000 pets owned by low-income families.
“Unfortunately, many pet owners struggle to pay the price to sterilize their dogs and cats,” SPCA Florida Executive Director Shelley Thayer said in a statement. “To assist these qualified families, our goal is to drastically reduce the cost or provide no cost spay or neuter services.”
The organization wants to raise awareness about the consequences of failing to spay or neuter pets. Unwanted animals end up at the shelter and often face euthanasia. SPCA Florida aims to raise $300,000 for the Grady Judd Spay and Neuter Program.
“The overpopulation problem is not a Polk County Animal Control problem, it’s not a Humane Society problem, nor is it an SPCA Florida problem. It’s a community problem.” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. “Shelters are not letting animals reproduce, the community is, and it takes the community to be responsible and spay and neuter their pets.”
To qualify for the program, residents should contact the SPCA Florida Medical Center and show proof of the following assistance:
- State or Federally funded Welfare Program
- Food Stamps
- Social Security
- SSI Disability
- Disabled Veteran
- Poverty Level Chart
The program is currently focused on cats. Residents will pay $45 for the spay or neuter, with the rest of the costs covered by the program.
Residents with dogs can sign up for low-cost spay or neuter on Pitties and Kitties Days, which are March 15 and 16.
To make an appointment call (863) 646-7722, email clinic@spcaflorida.org, or stop by SPCA in person.
