The goal is specific: Spay or neuter 1,000 dogs or cats a year.
Little by little, a Riverside nonprofit group is making progress.
This week, residents lined up with their pets early Monday, Jan. 27, for a free clinic. Hours later, organizers had tallied 53 more toward their benchmark.
It’s part of Foster Army Animal Rescue’s new initiative dubbed Spay & Neuter Riverside.
To fight the overpopulation of pets in Riverside County, the group is mobilizing to host events offering free or discounted procedures, Kimberlee Powell, pet care manager for Foster Army Animal Rescue, wrote in an email. The first one in December ended with 53 pets spayed or neutered, she said.
“The cost of spay and neuter can be as high as $700 at a veterinary hospital, making it inaccessible to many pet owners,” Powell wrote. “However, unwanted litters can lead to an even bigger financial burden, as well as contribute to the pet overpopulation crisis.”
Focusing on Riverside and surrounding cities, the group aims to help responsible pet owners get their animals cared for to “decrease the amount of unwanted animals that wind up on the streets and in the shelters.”
On Monday, the group did just that.
Dr. Ronaldo Vasquez, of the Latino Alliance for Animal Care Foundation, and his staff set up a mobile clinic inside the group’s Riverside thrift store. More events are planned and, depending on funding, could be free or discounted with the fee around $25 per pet, Powell said.
Since 2015, Foster Army Animal Rescue has focused on rescuing pets so they aren’t euthanized at shelters. Its efforts include sick, injured, underage, older and misfit pets.
Those interested in future spay/neuter events can apply on the group’s website. The next one is set for March.
Foster Army is seeking donors to help sponsor surgeries. Donations can be made on its website, or in person at the Riverside thrift store, 6520 Magnolia Ave.
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