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Montana animal shelter offers free services for low-income pet owners

Posted at 5:01 PM, Feb 20, 2024
and last updated 2024-02-20 19:01:10-05

BOZEMAN — February is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month, and Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter in Bozeman is not only raising awareness but also offering spay and neuter services through its free clinic.

“We’re looking at assisting with lowering the population of our animals,” said Heart of the Valley Behavior and Enrichment Manager Kate McCarthy. “So we’re really honing in on population control.”

With overpopulation being a main concern, McCarthy says the shelter is offering a clinic for low-income residents to receive proper spay and neuter care for their pets.

“We do our Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) and Spay and Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) Clinic,” said McCarthy. “Anyone who is of low income and needs help getting their pet spayed or neutered can contact our animal services coordinator through our website and schedule an appointment to get their cat or dog spayed or neutered.”

The clinics have proven to be extremely successful with more than 700 surgeries per year, according to McCarthy.

“For our general population here at the shelter I know last year we did just over 2,100 spays and neuters,” said McCarthy.

While it is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month, Heart of the Valley’s mission goes beyond the month of February.

“Every month for us is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month,” said McCarthy.

To find out how to apply for Heart of the Valley’s free services, visit: https://www.heartofthevalleyshelter.org/programs-and-services/#SNAP