The good news is that the program is a big success. The bad news is that it was so successful that it had to be shut down. The Dog and Cat Sterilization Fund, which provided financial help for people who were unable to pay for spay or neuter surgery, was forced to suspend operation recently because it had run out of money.

Funded by proceeds from a sales of a specialty “Spay-Neuter” auto tag, the fund grew quickly in 2003 and 2004, but by this year most car owners had replaced their tags and sales of new tags dwindled. It became obvious that the fund was going to run out of money soon, and the decision was made to suspend the program until new sources of income could be found.

One new source of income will come next year when the state income tax checkoff, passed by the legislature during the last session, begins to provide funds. This will allow taxpayers to donate $1.00 of their income tax refunds to the program. It is hoped that donations will come in from individuals, corporations and foundations to keep the program going until new sources of income are found. Donations are tax-deductible and can be sent to:

Dog and Cat Sterilization Fund
P.O. Box 347043
Atlanta GA 30334-7043

Low-cost spay or neuter services are available from a number of sources in the metro area. Many groups offer financial help for those who have trouble paying for the surgery and might otherwise not have it done. The best place to find this information is on the Pet Orphans/SPOT Society website, www.petorphans.com. This site contains a wealth of information, including a listing of every rescue group in metro Atlanta and the surrounding counties. It includes a list of organizations that offer low cost spay and neuter services or assistance in obtaining them.

It is a shame that we have to mention this, but we do. These programs are meant for people who really need them – small rescue groups and individuals who cannot afford the cost of regular vet care – not for those who just want to save a little money.

Most of the county humane societies offer assistance to those who need it. Lifeline Animal Project, through their “No More Homeless Pets” program, offers discount spay-neuter surgery for rescue groups and individuals who qualify. Fulton County Animal Services will pay the cost of spay or neuter surgery for Fulton County residents who cannot afford it.

Project CatSnip operates a mobile veterinary surgical clinic that travels to locations throughout the metro area and provides discount spay-neuter surgery. SANTA – Spay and Neuter Team of Atlanta – in Marietta is another organization that offers discount services to those to those who cannot afford them.

That is just a few of the many groups working to reduce the number of puppies and kittens born in the metro area that will never find a home. It is obscene that 90,000 dogs and cats are killed each year in metro Atlanta shelters because there are no homes for them. A civilized people can do better.

Anyone who does not have internet access can call us at 770-413-4298 or write to us at P.O. Box 76177, Atlanta, GA 30358 and we will send you a printed copy of the information on the Pet Orphans website.