Low-cost spay/neuter services available

Thank you for targeting the homeless animals and lack of accessible low-cost sterilizations in the Inland Northwest (Voices, April 30).

I am the executive director of a nonprofit, low-cost spay and neuter clinic, located in the Spokane Valley at 7525 E. Trent Ave., since April 2005. We have performed over 15,000 spays and neuters of dogs and cats in that time.

We are a founding member of Friends of Pets, a group comprised of representatives from all the shelters and rescue groups in Spokane County, working to end homeless of pets.

Among programs offered:

•For $14, cats that come to us in a trap are sterilized and ear tipped. Last year we sterilized about 600 feral cats. This program is grant funded and is available to feral cat caretakers.

•A sliding-scale fee for low-income dog and cat owners; this is funded though grants.

•Clinic on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., offering low-cost vaccines and microchips.

•A mobile animal surgical hospital unit one to two days per month at various locations throughout the city and county, all of the shelters, bars, garages, any empty buildings we can find. The fees for MASH are $30 for cat neuters and $35 for spays; that includes rabies vaccines, microchip (permanent identification), city or county licenses and sterilizations. This program is self-funded.

We are a partner in ASPCA Mission Orange project, one of five communities in the country selected to receive coaching, invitational grants and other support to keep our work sustainable.

Again, thank you for bringing attention to this problem.

Sue Anderson

Executive director, Pet Savers