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Miami-Dade County Animal Services to provide FREE Cat Spay and Neuter Surgeries during week-long "Beat the Heat" Campaign aimed at humanely managing community cat population
Hundreds of cat spay and neuter surgeries for community and pet cats to be performed before cat mating season starts.
Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department launches the week-long “Beat the Heat” Campaign from Sunday, February 9th, 2020, through Friday, February 15th, 2020, to provide FREE cat spay and neuter surgeries to humanely manage the free-roaming community cat populations. The efforts will kick-off in partnership with the Humane Society of Greater Miami and cat trapping volunteers who will work throughout our county, implementing the Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TVNR) program targeting feral cats. Then, from Monday, February 10, 2020, through Friday, February 14, 2020, ASD will provide FREE spay and neuter surgeries to all Miami-Dade County residents’ cats. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 311 or visiting www.miamidade.gov/animals.
“With the fast approaching springtime comes the cat mating season, making now the perfect time to get our community’s cats spayed/neutered,” said Alex Muñoz, Director of Miami-Dade County Animal Services. “A single, outdoor female cat and her offspring can produce hundreds of kittens, so it’s critical that we get ahead of the cat reproductive season to humanely manage the cat population and reduce the number of kittens we receive at the shelter.”
Every year in the spring and summer, ASD experiences a rise in the number of kittens brought to the Pet Adoption and Protection Center. Like communities across the country, we struggle to care for multiple litters of young kittens brought to us by well-meaning good Samaritans. Neonatal kittens require around-the-clock care from trained shelter staff or foster homes and their chance of survival without their mother is very low.
The ASD “Beat The Heat” Campaign encourages communities to embrace the county’s TNVR program and highlights the particular importance of spaying and neutering cats in winter or early spring to help humanely manage the cat population by getting ahead of the spring and summer kitten season. Communities that take part in the campaign see fewer cats entering animal shelters, allowing shelters to focus their efforts and taxpayer dollars on adoption programs and community outreach and education.
To make an appointment to spay or neuter a pet, or for additional information regarding the Miami-Dade County Animal Services Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return program and pet spay and neuter services, call 311 or visit www.miamidade.gov/animals.
About Miami-Dade County Animal Services
Every year Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department (Animal Services) provides care and refuge for 28,000 to 30,000 lost and abandoned dogs and cats. Every day, Animal Services staff works diligently to find lifelong homes for these abandoned animals by facilitating onsite adoptions, hosting off-site adoptions at events and locations throughout the community, and working collaboratively with rescue organizations, volunteers and adoption partners. For more information call 311 or visit www.miamidade.gov/animals.