Mitchell County Animal Rescue (MCAR) has been packed to capacity and beyond, with a waiting list for people to bring in more. And the dogs and cats keep coming, seemingly without end. The unwanted pet population in Mitchell County has exploded, and the number one remedy for this situation is for every pet owner to spay or neuter their pets.
To help fight this problem at the source, MCAR offers both a low cost spay and neuter program as well as a FREE spay and neuter program for low income residents through our Community Cares Spay and Neuter Fund. But our free program can only operate when special grant money is available. That is where our new partnership with the Community Partnership for Pets, Inc (CPPI) comes in. The CPPI understands our plight here in Mitchell County and made a large investment in our community to spay and neuter the pets of qualifying low income citizens absolutely free of charge. This type of commitment is the only way to stop the endless flow of unwanted animals pouring into our shelter each and every day.
Community Partnership for Pets was started in 2005 in Henderson County, NC with a passion to do anything and everything possible to reduce the suffering of unwanted dogs, puppies, cats and kittens. Their research showed that in order to save them, they had to stop the daily birth of unwanted puppies and kittens AND they had to keep dogs, puppies, cats and kittens already living in loving homes in the community out of the shelter. Spay and neuter programs are at the core of what they do and they are excited to support the efforts of MCAR in Mitchell County. “Bringing free spay and neuter to Mitchell County citizens is the best thing we can do to reduce the number of unwanted animals filling up our shelter each summer. We owe a debt of gratitude to CPPI for making this happen.” says MCAR Director Pam Cote.
Not only will qualifying citizens receive spay and neuter surgery for all of their pets, but rabies shots and vaccinations will also be provided free of charge if needed. To qualify, you must be a resident of Mitchell Countyfrom a low income household such asMedicaid recipients, participants in DHS or DSS programs, or recipients of welfare, food stamps, WIC or other assistance programs. Funding is limited so act now. Call MCAR today at 828-765-6952 to find out if you qualify and how to schedule your appointment. Surgeries are scheduled for every Tuesday and Thursday, all year long.Residents who don’t qualify for this program can still count on MCAR to help keep spay and neuter costs low for everyone through our Low Cost Spay/Neuter program – male cat surgery costs only $43 and female cats and dog surgery costs just $60.
Spaying and neutering pets is critical to controlling the unwanted pet population. Just one unaltered female cat and her offspring can produce 400,000 cats in their lifetimes and an unaltered female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000! Those are pretty staggering statistics for a county with so many unaltered pets. If you are aware of any feral colonies of unfixed cats your neighborhood, please call MCAR today to see how we can help.
By spaying or neutering your pet, you will help them live a longer, healthier life. Spaying female pets helps prevent uterine infections and breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Neutering your pet prevents testicular cancer and some prostate problems. It may also help them to be better behaved by helping to stop some aggression problems, roaming problems and territory marking issues.
Mitchell County Animal Rescue is a nonprofit organization devoted to the rescue and care of abandoned, neglected and otherwise unwanted animals in Mitchell County, NC. This year we celebrate our 35th anniversary of serving animals in the community and the people who love them. For more information about Mitchell County Animal Rescue visit www.mitchellcountyanimalrescue.org.
