HSHV launches "Community Cats" a month long campaign to spay and neuter free-roaming cats
Monday, March 28, 2016
By: Wendy Welch

Sponsored by PetSmart Charities®, "Community Cat" provides free spay/neuter surgeries and rabies vaccinations for feral and stray cats

Ann Arbor, MI (March 28, 2015) –  During the month of April,  the Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) will offer no-cost spay and neuter surgeries, plus free rabies vaccinations as part of “Community Cats,” PetSmart Charities’ spay/neuter campaign to alter free-roaming cats.   If left unaltered, unowned feral and stray cats produce large quantities of unwanted kittens each spring, flooding local animal shelters and leading to higher euthanasia rates.  By taking a proactive approach and getting the cats fixed now, HSHV will help lessen the impact of the coming kitten season.

Spaying and neutering is one of the most effective ways to reduce the homeless pet population and is safe for kittens as young as eight to 10 weeks old, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Spaying a female cat before the first heat cycle can be beneficial, improving the health of the cat by reducing the risk of certain reproductive cancers and infections.

“Female cats can have as many as three litters a year, and kittens can breed as young as four months old,” says Sarah Marsh, HSHV's Veterinary Clinic Manager. “Most people don’t want to see the cats they’re feeding get pregnant over and over again, so our “Community Cats” campaign will serve as a gentle reminder to caretakers of free-roaming cat colonies to catch and sterilize their cats.”

This special free rate is available to all residents of Washtenaw County and Plymouth. Residents feeding free-roaming cats who wish to take advantage of this offer must mention the “Community Cat” campaign when dropping off cat(s).  For more information, call HSHV's full-service veterinary clinic at 734-662-4365 or HSHV's Trap-Neuter-Return Coordinator at 734-661-3523. Preferred drop-off time for community cats is 9 a.m. Monday through Thursday.

PetSmart Charities’ “Community Cats” campaign will provide $648,293 to spay/neuter clinics across the United States to fund affordable, high-quality spay and neuter surgeries for more than 13,820 free-roaming cats during the month of April. 

About The Humane Society of Huron Valley:

The Humane Society of Huron Valley, located in Ann Arbor, is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and relies solely on the generosity of our supporters to provide critical community programs and services. HSHV is an award-winning organization, recognized for our best practices and highest animal "save-rate" among all similar shelters in Michigan. Charity Navigator, the nation's top charity evaluator, awarded HSHV a 4-star ranking, the highest possible. The mission of HSHV is to promote the loving, responsible care of all animals in our community. HSHV is not affiliated with any other humane organization and does not receive funding from the United Way. More information can be found on HSHV’s website (hshv.org) and on our annual report (www.hshv.org/2014annualreport). 

About PetSmart Charities:

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets. More than 400,000 dogs and cats find homes each year through our adoption program in all PetSmart® stores and our sponsored adoption events. PetSmart Charities grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America, with a focus on funding spay/neuter services that help communities solve pet overpopulation. PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization, separate from PetSmart, Inc.

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