TOLEDO, Ohio, Jan. 21, 2014 – Warmer weather may still be months away, but Humane Ohio wants pet parents to “Beat the Heat” by spaying their female cats in advance of their heat cycles and preventing unwanted litters from being born this spring. (Animal shelters commonly refer to spring time as “kitten season” because that is when they receive the largest numbers of unwanted litters that are difficult to adopt.)
To help reduce the number of homeless cats born this spring, Humane Ohio is offering a special “Beat the Heat” promotion sponsored by PetSmart Charities®, the largest funder of animal welfare efforts in North America. During the entire month of February, the non-profit organization will spay owned female cats for a special rate of $20.
Spaying and neutering is one of the most effective ways to reduce the homeless pet population. Spaying a female cat by four months before the first heat cycle is actually beneficial, rather than waiting until after one heat cycle has occurred. The procedure is known to improve the health of the pet, including a reduced risk of certain reproductive cancers and infections.
Jill Borkowski, Humane Ohio Marketing Director, says “Our “Beat the Heat” promotion is a win-win. Every spring, local animal shelters and rescue groups are flooded with thousands of kittens. We can help these organizations by preventing unwanted kittens from being born, and we can help people with female cats by offering a really special rate to spay their cat.”
“Female cats can have as many as three litters a year, and kittens can breed as young as four months old,” Borkowski continues. “It’s our goal to eliminate pet homelessness in our community by offering high-quality, affordable spay/neuter, and our “Beat the Heat” promotion is a fun way to reach out to the community and prevent unwanted litters. Most people don’t want to see their cat get pregnant over and over again, so hopefully our “Beat the Heat” campaign will serve as a gentle reminder to cat owners to fix their cats before they go into heat and become pregnant this year.”
The special “Beat the Heat” rate is even less than the non-profit organization’s normal low-cost spay price and is available to all residents of Ohio and Michigan. Cat parents who wish to take advantage of this offer must mention the “Beat the Heat” promotion when they schedule their appointment and availability is limited.
Thanks to the PetSmart Charities grant, Humane Ohio will be able to spay 400 owned female cats at the special $20 rate during February. Please visit www.humaneohio.org or follow Humane Ohio on Facebook at www.facebook.com/humaneohio for more information or call 419-266-5607 to schedule an appointment.
Humane Ohio operates a non-profit, low-cost spay/neuter clinic and pet food bank that fixed 12,576 animals in 2013 and gave out more than 85,000 pounds of pet food. Their spay/neuter clinic serves Ohio and Michigan and can offer low-cost spay/neuter prices because donations and grants help cover the costs. Humane Ohio believes that all animals should receive the highest quality veterinary care possible even if the services rendered are at a reduced cost. All spay/neuter surgeries are performed by licensed veterinarians (DVMs) and every patient receives pain medication.
About PetSmart Charities
PetSmart Charities, Inc.is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets. More than 400,000 dogs and cats find homes each year through our adoption program in all PetSmart® stores and our sponsored adoption events. PetSmart Charities grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America, with a focus on funding spay/neuter services that help communities solve pet overpopulation. PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization, separate from PetSmart, Inc.
