News

Snip-It Tickets now available

A new low-cost spay and neuter option is now available to Blount County pet owners. The Snip-It Ticket joins Fix Your Mama, ASN Family Assistance, and two certificate programs in offering a wide-range of discounted sterilization options.

The Snip-It Ticket includes the spay or neuter and a flea treatment at Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic (ASN). County residents may purchase up to four $25 tickets per household per year at the Animal Adoption Center of Blount County, 5554 County Highway 1 in Cleveland. Cash, credit, and check are all accepted. The shelter is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Use the callbox at the gate to request entry.

The Snip-It Ticket is made possible by the Carl Coleman Fund and through shelter fundraising, said Karen Startley, director of the Animal Adoption Center of Blount County.

Fix Your Mama, a long-standing program sponsored by the Locust Fork-based rescue organization Crossing Paths, is also available exclusively to County residents. For $25 per pet, Fix Your Mama includes the spay or neuter of a female cat, female dog, or any pit bull or pit mix; plus the rabies vaccine, if needed, and transportation from Oneonta.

ASN Family Assistance, open to households with a family member enrolled in a government assistance program, offers $25 sterilization for up to three pets.

Spay and neuter surgeries arranged through the Snip-It Ticket, Fix Your Mama, and ASN Family Assistance are performed at ASN, a nonprofit dedicated solely to sterilization. The clinic’s vets are specialists who perform thousands of surgeries each year.

Appointments for these three programs can be made by calling ASN at 205-956-0012 and mentioning the program name. A ride in the monthly Hip to Snip Express from Oneonta may be reserved on the same call, or pets may be brought directly to the Irondale facility.

*pit bulls and pit mixes only

For those who would prefer that the surgery be performed at a local vet or animal hospital, discounted certificates are available from two Birmingham-area nonprofits. See the chart for the prices available from Friends of Cats & Dogs Foundation (at fcdf.org or via mail) and the Alabama Animal Adoption Society (via mail or in Homewood; details at animaladoption.org).

Neighbors who care for feral or free-roaming cats can take advantage of ASN’s TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) program. TNR stabilizes cat populations by preventing new kittens from being born, saving lives and tax dollars. See alspay.org/tnr.html for rates and details or alleycat.org to learn about TNR. A humane trap can be borrowed from the Animal Adoption Center of Blount County or purchased from Tractor Supply and similar stores.

Financial assistance, whether for sterilization of pets or of community cats, may be requested by calling the Animal Adoption Center of Blount County at 205-973-0493 or calling or texting Spay Alabama at 205-243-9946.

Spay and neuter surgeries are in high demand. Early scheduling is recommended for best access to appointments and to transportation, if needed. The minimum age and weight for surgery is three months and three pounds.

Aim to sterilize kittens and puppies between the age of three and five months old for pregnancy prevention and optimal health and behavioral benefits. Don’t wait for a litter: ‘spay delay’ is a major cause of shelter overpopulation. If a female goes into heat, keep her indoors and separated from males.

If the dog or cat has a current rabies vaccination, bring the certificate; without it, the vaccine will be administered at a cost of $26 at ASN. Vets may require and charge for other vaccinations. There may also be a surcharge if the animal is in-heat or pregnant; seven years or older; for repair of umbilical hernias; for cryptorchid neuters; for larger dogs; or if overnight boarding is necessary.

Spaying or neutering is good for pets, good for people, and good for the community. For more information and links to each program, visit BlountAnimals.com.