Planned Pethood South Program for All Cats in Zip Code 95076

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter FREE Cat Spay/Neuter & FREE Case of Canned Cat Food

• Microchip and Vaccination Package, all for only $5
• FREE Spay/Neuter for all Participant Cats
• FREE Case of Canned Cat Food (24 Cans)

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS) received a grant from PetSmart Charities for $86,000 to go towards FREE spay/neuter for cats that reside in zip code 95076. To receive the FREE spay/neuter surgery, cat owners are required to purchase: a microchip (includes registration), rabies and FVRCP vaccinations, all for a total of $5! To further entice residents to take advantage of this offer, SCCAS will also be giving away a FREE case of canned cat food (24 cans) to participants!

The goals of the program are: to help provide affordable spay/neuter veterinary services to the residents of South County; to help reduce the County’s homeless animal population (SCCAS takes in nearly 6,000 animals per year); to help residents comply with current animal ownership laws; and to help return cats to their homes as quickly as possible through a microchip which provides permanent identification.

Registration and scheduling can be completed at SCCAS’s shelter located at 580 Airport Blvd. in Watsonville. The Watsonville shelter is open Monday through Saturday, 8:30 am – Noon and 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Cat owners should not bring their animals to register and must bring proof of residence in zip code 95076.

A licensed veterinarian performs all spay/neuter surgeries with a professional focus on spay/neuter procedures.  Surgeries include a preoperative exam by a veterinarian, pain medication and dissolvable sutures. Cats over 10 years of age require a blood panel test done by SCCAS for $55 for the safety of the animal.

Microchipping is a safe, easy, effective way to reunite lost pets to their owners and provides proof of ownership if a pet is ever stolen. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, cats are 21.4 times more likely to be returned to their home from a shelter if they have a registered microchip. The microchip itself is a tiny implant, typically about the size of a grain of rice, inserted under the skin and implanted in a very similar way to administering a vaccine. The microchip information is linked to a central database that holds all the details of the pet and the owner. Should the animal become lost or separated from its owner, a microchip scanner can be used to identify the animal and the owner.

Feral cats residing in the City of Watsonville will receive an ear tip and must be tested for feline leukemia and feline immune deficiency virus at the time of surgery for a fee of $14.

“SCCAS receives a high percentage of animals and field service requests from zip code 95076, says Melanie Sobel, SCCAS general manager. “This targeted spay/neuter, microchip and vaccination initiative will help end unwanted births, increase the number of animals returned to their owners, and save taxpayers’ money at the same time.”

For more information, please visit www.scanimalshelter.org or call 831-454-7200.