KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: February: "Beat the Heat" Spay/Neuter Discount

(KATV, Source: Arkansans for Animals) Little Rock - It may seem that warmer weather is still out of reach, but now is the time to "beat the heat" by spaying your cat in advance of her heat cycle and preventing unwanted litters before  "kitten season" arrives this spring – a time when shelters traditionally see large numbers of unwanted litters being born.

To help reduce the number of homeless cats, Arkansans for Animals, Inc. is offering a "Beat the Heat" promotion sponsored by PetSmart Charities®. During the month of February, James Achorn, DVM through Arkansans for Animals, Inc.'s

Operation SAVE (Sterilization and Vaccination Effort) will spay the first 150 female cats for a special rate of $20.

Spaying and neutering is one of the most effective ways to reduce the homeless pet population.

While some worry that their pet may be too young for this procedure, spaying and neutering is safe for kittens as young as 8 to 10 weeks old. And, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, spaying a female cat 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.

"Many people don't know that female cats can have as many as three litters a year, and kittens can breed as young as four months old," says Jake Hillard, Executive Director. "It's our goal to bring female cats in before they go into heat and become pregnant. Our ‘Beat the Heat' promotion is a fun way to educate the community and prevent unwanted litters."

This special rate is even less than the organization's normal low-cost price of $35 for any cat and is available to all residents of Central Arkansas.   

The usual cost to spay/neuter a dog is $65 and there is financial assistance available for pet owners who still cannot afford the low cost. 

Cat parents who wish to take advantage of this offer must mention the "Beat the Heat" promotion when they schedule their appointment. The promotion is based on availability.

Please visit www.arkansansforanimals.org or call AFA's Operation SAVE (501) 455-5400 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

About Arkansans for Animals, Inc: AFA, Inc. is a non-profit animal welfare organization serving the state of Arkansas through large animal sheltering, maintaining a wild-life reserve and our low-cost spay/neuter program--one of the most efficient of its kind in the country. We provide low-cost spay/neuter services through our state-wide mobile MASH clinic and our new Operation SAVE clinic in Little Rock. We also help provide support to local grassroots humane movements, shelters and rescues by networking to help maximize the potential of too few resources.

About PetSmart Charities: Established in 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that creates and supports programs that save the lives of homeless pets, raise awareness of companion animal welfare issues and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. The largest founder of animal-welfare efforts in North America, PetSmart Charities has provided $134 million in grants and programs benefiting animal-welfare organizations and has helped save the lives of nearly 5 million pets through its in-store adoption program. To learn more about how PetSmart Charities is working toward its vision of a lifelong, loving home for every pet, visit petsmartcharities.org or call 1-800-423-PETS (7387).