The coronavirus pandemic has halted court proceedings, business operations and daily life for individuals and communities across the globe. Animal shelters, spay/neuter clinics and other animal wellness clinics have not been immune to these interruptions. As a result, these organizations have had to reevaluate daily processes, dealing with everything from staffing and inventory shortages to physical limitations and everything in between.
Regrettably, communities in all 50 states were forced to suspend any non-emergency veterinary services, and spay/neuter surgeries fell into this category. At Florida Animal Friend, we know how essential these procedures are to curbing animal homelessness and enhancing animal welfare. That’s why we’re happy to see national organizations take action to combat the pandemic’s negative effects in this area.
We Can’t Let Coronavirus Hinder the Progress We’ve Made
While the safety of staff and animal owners is top of mind, so is the importance of continuing spay and neuter surgeries as we wait for a coronavirus vaccine. Why is it so important? Unfortunately, more than 2.7 million otherwise healthy and adoptable cats and dogs are euthanized annually. Reducing the homeless pet population through low-cost spay and neuter services is the most effective way we know of to bring that total down. Spaying and neutering animals saves lives.
#SpayTogether Stimulus Fund Provides Much-Needed Support
In response to the operational and legal challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 25 national organizations have stepped up to provide critical aid. The launch of this summer’s collaborative #SpayTogether initiative offers support to the most coronavirus-affected organizations in the form of:
- Surgery subsidy support grants
- On-site assistance
- Training in high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter surgeries
- Discounted veterinary supplies and services
This is great news for many communities that now have immense backlogs of unaltered animals and limited resources. And while #SpayTogether will provide aid across the country, eight states have been identified as requiring substantial support. Fortunately, Florida is one of those eight states, and many of the states in this category are in the South.
#SpayTogether by the Numbers: Florida & Beyond
According to animalsheltering.org, the stimulus fund has enabled more than 44,000 spays/neuters nationwide in just three months. That amounts to more than 166,000 prevented births. Thanks to #SpayTogether, one dog sterilization surgery is performed every two seconds and one cat sterilization surgery is performed every seven seconds.
In the first seven weeks of the three-month initiative, the 20 participating shelters and spay/neuter clinics in Florida had collectively spayed and neutered 2,793 cats and dogs—more than halfway to the statewide goal! And Miami-Dade Animal Services became the first program in the state to surpass its 450-surgery target.
As of August 27, 2020, Florida has seen the third-most procedures of any state at just four surgeries shy of 4,000. That’s great news, but the even better news is that the impact of this aid has been felt in all 50 states.
Help Fight Animal Homelessness & Pet Overpopulation
At Florida Animal Friend, we are so proud of these national organizations for coming together to provide this essential, much-needed aid. The coronavirus pandemic has made effective population control measures much more difficult, but selfless stimulus funds like #SpayTogether will help make sure that animal welfare organizations across the U.S. have the resources they need.
Want to do your part to fight pet overpopulation and homelessness? First, spay and neuter your pets! Want to do even more? Purchase one of our license plates, make a donation or get out there and adopt a new furry friend from your local animal shelter. Every action counts!