We are a non-profit mobile spay & neuter clinic serving rural Colorado.
Unplanned litters of dogs and cats are a significant source of animals entering the shelter system, and there are not enough homes for these animals in our state. Rural communities throughout Colorado are in greatest need of our services.
What We Do
Every month we hold a 4-day clinic in an underserved Colorado community.
Our mobile surgical unit enables us to work in the heart of the highest-need communities in rural Colorado. We collaborate with local nonprofits, governmental agencies, veterinarians, partners and sponsors to provide spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchips and education services to these underserved communities.
Fulfilling Our Mission
Our Results
Thanks to our sponsors, partners, hardworking staff and volunteers, and those who use our services, we are making an impact:
Nearly 14,436 animals sterilized in 24 Colorado communities and Clovis, NM
since June 2019
A Community Concern
Consider the consequences of unaltered cats and dogs:
- A female dog can have up to 3 litters in a year with an average litter size of seven puppies. That means 1 female and her puppies can create 67,000 puppies in 6 years.
- If a female cat has 2 litters in a year with an average litter size of 8 surviving kittens, that 1 female and her kittens can create 66,000 kittens in 6 years. Cats can begin reproducing as young as 16-weeks of age!
These unplanned litters of dogs and cats are a significant source of animals entering the shelter system, and there are just not enough homes for all the dogs and cats currently in our country. That’s why spay and neuter — or sterilization services — become so important. Allowing your pet to have “just one litter” contributes to the problem.
Why spay or neuter YOUR pet?
By spaying or neutering your pet, you’ll help control the pet homelessness crisis, which results in millions of healthy dogs and cats being euthanized in the United States each year simply because there aren’t enough homes to go around. There are also medical and behavioral benefits to spaying (female pets) and neutering (male pets) your animals.
Here are some of the medical benefits
- Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life. Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and 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.
- 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.
And 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 the 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 to escape from the house. Once he’s free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other male 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.
Debunking spay/neuter myths and misconceptions
- Spaying or neutering will not cause your pet to become overweight. Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor her food intake.
- Neutering is not a quick fix for all behavior problems. Although neutering your pet often reduces undesirable behaviors caused by a higher level of testosterone, there’s no guarantee that your dog’s behavior will change after he’s neutered. Although the surgery will reduce the amount of testosterone in your dog’s system, it won’t eliminate the hormone completely. Neutering will also not reduce behaviors that your pet has earned or that have become habitual. The effects of neutering are largely dependent on your dog’s individual personality, physiology, and history.
When to spay or neuter your pet
- For dogs: While the traditional age for neutering is six to nine months, puppies as young as eight weeks old can be neutered as long as they’re healthy. Dogs can be neutered as adults as well, although there’s a slightly higher risk of post-operative complications in older dogs, dogs that are overweight or dogs that have health problems.
- For cats: It is generally considered safe for kittens as young as eight weeks old to be spayed or neutered. In animal shelters, surgery is often performed at this time so that kittens can be sterilized prior to adoption. In an effort to avoid the start of urine spraying and eliminate the chance for pregnancy, it’s advisable to schedule the surgery before your own cat reaches five months of age. It’s possible to spay a female cat while she’s in heat.
- Talk to your veterinarian to determine the best time to spay or neuter your pet.
From the ASPCA