2012 Press Release
600+ Pets Spayed and Neutered on Spay Day Sacramento
Sacramento Area Animal Coalition provides financial “fix” for pet owners on 13th annual Spay Day
Sacramento (February 26, 2012) – The Sacramento Area Animal Coalition (SAAC), a non-profit organization committed to animal population control, joined today with veterinarians, shelter employees and volunteers to spay and neuter 630 dogs and cats through the 13th annual Spay Day Sacramento.
Spay Day Sacramento is the largest one-day spay/neuter event in the nation. It helps families in need alter their pets at a deep discount, thanks to generous donations from individuals and sponsors. Spay Day also reduces the number of unwanted animals in the region, preventing them from entering shelters that are already overwhelmed by budget cuts and growing numbers of surrendered pets.
“More than twenty thousand dogs and cats are killed in Sacramento area shelters every year because there are not enough homes for them all,” said Sacramento Area Animal Coalition President Shannon Asquith. “Through Spay Day, we can reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats entering our shelters while helping people who are struggling financially get vital health care for their pets.”
Spay Day participant Stacie Dean explains why she participated in Spay Day and how it helped her family.
Spay Day participants received approximately $250 dollars worth of services per animal, including the spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, permanent microchip identification and registration, and flea preventive. Services are donated by veterinary clinics and shelters across the region and paid for through sponsorships and private donations.
“Thanks to tremendous community support, the Sacramento Area Animal Coalition has now altered more than seven thousand animals in twelve years on Spay Day, preventing the births of millions of animals,” said Asquith.
Spaying and neutering can improve animal behavior and reduce health problems and cancer risks, she added. “Research shows that altered pets are happier, healthier and behave better,” she said.
Spay Day surgeries took place at 18 locations in Sacramento and Yolo Counties, including 14 veterinary clinics and 4 animal shelters. SAAC is still accepting donations to offset the costs of Spay Day. SAAC is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization, and 99 percent of donations go directly to its low-cost spay/neuter programs. To donate visit www.sacanimal.org.
Pet owners who missed Spay Day are encouraged to view SAAC’s list of other low-cost spay/neuter programs.
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Spay Day Sacramento 2012 sponsors
Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor, Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli, Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters, Pfizer Animal Health, Avid Identification Systems, Born Free USA, City of Elk Grove, City of Sacramento Animal Care Services, The Humane Society of the United States, RedRover, Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation, Sacramento SPCA, Sacramento Valley Veterinary Medical Association, Teaching Everyone Animals Matter, and Yolo County SPCA.
Spay Day 2012 participating clinics and shelters
All About Pets; City of Sacramento Animal Care Services; Family Friends Vet Hospital; Foothill Farms Veterinary Hospital; Hatton Veterinary Hospital; Hazel Ridge Veterinary Clinic; Kittel Family Veterinary Practice; Midtown Animal Hospital; Pet Vets of Folsom; Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation; Sacramento SPCA; South Davis Veterinary Center; Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital; VCA Sacramento Animal Medical Group; Woodland Veterinary Hospital; Yolo County Animal Services.
The Sacramento Area Animal Coalition (SAAC) is a non-profit organization committed to eliminating companion animal overpopulation in the Sacramento area through aggressive spay-neuter efforts, humane education, community outreach and networking. SAAC is an all-volunteer grassroots nonprofit. Ninety-nine percent of all donations go toward programs that help animals. For more information, please visit www.sacanimal.org.
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