Safe Paws heavily promotes the spaying and neutering of animals to help control the pet overpopulation and homeless crisis. Female kittens and puppies can enter their first heat cycle and become pregnant between four and six months old, which means it’s imperative for everyone to do their part as early as possible.
We know this critically important procedure is expensive and simply out of reach for many in today’s climate. By offering assistance to accessible medical care members of the community, we can help keep pets away from the streets, out of shelters, off of death row, and with the people who love them.
The Process
- Read the Pre-Surgery Information sheet and frequently asked questions
- Fill out an application.
- After reviewing the application, eligible individuals will be notified by email or phone with the next steps.
Your donations enable us to offer spay/neuter vouchers to members of our community, which helps animals live longer, healthier lives and helps combat the pet overpopulation and the amount unwanted animals in shelters on death row.
Donations can be made directly to the Bondurant Animal Clinic by phone (515-967-1800) or to us through debit/credit card, Paypal, or Venmo.
If donating to the clinic, state that you’re wanting to make a donation to the Safe Paws Spay and Neuter Program to ensure it gets applied to proper account.
If donating to Safe Paws, please put in the notes that it’s for the spay and neuter program so we can make sure the donation goes to this specific program.
Currently, the services provided by the Spay and Neuter Assistance Program and Bondurant Animal Clinic are designed to serve pet families in need of support in central Iowa.
- Dogs must be at least 12 weeks old.
- Cats must be at least 3 lbs.
- Must live in Iowa
NOTE: Your pet must be current on Rabies and Distemper vaccines and have a negative heartworm test on file. If your pet is not up to date on vaccines or does not have a current (within the last 1 year) heartworm test, one will be given before the spay or neuter at the pet owner’s expense.
Limit is 2 pets per household.
- Pre-op Exam
- Anesthesia
- Spay or Neuter Surgery performed by a licensed veterinarian
- Nail Trim
- Ear Cleaning
- Post-op Pain Medication and Instructions
- Tender Loving Care
All other services are the responsibility of the pet owner.
All animals will have a pre-op exam by the veterinarian to ensure they are ready for their surgery. Animals that are sick or have other ailments at the time of surgery will be denied.
While we do cover seniors, the Spay and Neuter Program prioritizes younger pets to ensure funds for the program have the maximum impact. For example, spaying a 2 year old dog or cat will have a greater impact than spaying an 8 year old one.
Also, once a pet has reached a certain age (typically about 7 years of age), most vets require blood work before spaying or neuter to ensure they’re healthy enough for surgery, which this program does not cover.
Medical benefits:
- Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life. Spaying prevents uterine infections and decreases the incidence of breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
- Neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer and some prostate problems.
Behavioral benefits:
- Your spayed female pet won’t go into heat. While cycles can vary, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they’ll yowl and urinate more frequently—sometimes all over the house!
- Your male dog will be less likely to roam away from home. An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate, including finding creative ways escape from the house. Once he’s free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other animals.
- Your neutered male may be better behaved. Unneutered dogs and cats are more likely to mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Your dog might be less likely to mount other dogs, people and inanimate objects after he’s neutered. Some aggression problems may be avoided by early neutering.
Spaying/neutering your pets is also highly cost-effective. The cost of your pet’s spay/neuter surgery is far less than the cost of having and caring for a litter.
You can find more information about spaying and neutering your pet from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)