Do you live within Thurston County and have a pet that needs to be spayed or neutered? Are you a little short on funds to pay for the surgery? We can help.
Dogs and cats can be safely spayed or neutered at 3 months of age, which is recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the National Humane Education Society. If you have a dog or cat needing this service, please select one of the following:
SNAP Application
Click to Download
Please complete the application and bring it to the shelter on the first business day of the month. We accept the applications when we open at 9:30am–the line typically starts at 8am and there is a limited number of vouchers.
Thurston County Humane Society
Please come to the shelter to apply in person. You will need photo ID with your current Thurston County address (or some other proof of current address). Vouchers are available after the first of the month and there is a limited number. Please call to check on availability.
Concern for Animals
Please contact them directly for assistance.
Northwest Spay & Neuter Center
Tacoma area low-cost spay/neuter program (not limited to Tacoma residents.)
If you have questions, please call us at the Shelter at (360) 352-2510.
Spaying or neutering your pet:
- Prevents unwanted pregnancies and litters;
- Prevents uterine cancer and pyometra in females and testicular cancer in dogs, since it completely removes the reproductive organs;
- Prevents pets from roaming to look for a “mate;”
- Prevents unwanted pets from being euthanized in overcrowded shelters.
10 Myths about Spaying and Neutering your Pet
MYTH #1: My pet will get fat and lazy.
FACT: The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much and don’t give them enough exercise.
MYTH #2: It's too expensive to have my pet spayed or neutered.
FACT: The cost of spaying or neutering depends on the sex, size, and age of the pet, your veterinarian’s fees and other variables. Animal Services has grants to pay or help pay for having your animal fixed. But whatever the actual price, spay or neuter surgery is a one-time cost – a relatively small cost when compared to all the benefits. It’s a bargain compared to the cost of having a litter and ensuring the health of the mother and litter; two months of pregnancy and another two months until the litter is weaned can add up to significant veterinary bills and food costs if complications develop. Most importantly, it’s a very small price to pay for the health of your pet and the prevention of the births of more unwanted pets.
MYTH #3: But my pet is a purebred.
FACT: So is at least one out of every four pets brought to animal shelters around the country. There are just too many dogs and cats mixed breed and purebred.
MYTH #4: I'll find good homes for all the puppies and kittens.
FACT: You may find homes for all of your pet’s litter. But each home you find means one less home for the dogs and cats in shelters who need good homes. Also, in less than one year’s time, each of your pet’s offspring may have his or her own litter, adding even more animals to the population. The problem of pet overpopulation is created and perpetuated one litter at a time.
MYTH #5: It's better to have one litter first.
FACT: Medical evidence indicates just the opposite – females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier. Many veterinarians now sterilize dogs and cats as young as eight weeks of age. Check with your veterinarian about the appropriate time for these procedures.
MYTH #6: I don't want my male dog or cat to feel like less of a male.
FACT: Pets don’t have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Neutering will not change a pet’s basic personality. He doesn’t suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.
MYTH #7: But my dog (or cat) is so special, I want a puppy (or kitten) just like her.
FACT: A dog or cat may be a great pet, but that doesn’t mean her offspring will be a carbon copy. Professional animal breeders who follow generations of bloodlines can’t guarantee they will get just what they want out of a particular litter. A pet owner’s chances are even slimmer. In fact, an entire litter of puppies or kittens might receive all of a pet’s (and her mate’s) worst characteristics.
MYTH #8: It's not right to neuter a male. Only females should be sterilized because they're the ones that have litters.
FACT: This view forgets one important point: it takes two to tango. In fact, males can father far more young than a female could ever produce in a lifetime. And what happens if your intact male escapes the house and mates with an intact female? It’s both owners’ responsibilities to be sure their pets have been spayed or neutered.
MYTH #9: My children should experience the miracle of birth.
FACT: Even if children are able to see a pet give birth – which is unlikely, since it usually occurs at night and in seclusion – the lesson they will really learn is that animals can be created and discarded as it suits adults. Instead, it should be explained to children that the real miracle is life and that preventing the birth of some pets can save the lives of others. If you really want your child to see babies being born, consider renting videos on the topic, visiting a farm, or fostering animals from a shelter.
MYTH #10: I want my dog to be protective.
FACT: Spaying or neutering does not affect a dog’s natural instinct to protect home and family. A dog’s personality is formed more by genetics and environment than by sex hormones.
