In 2024, LifeLine clinics performed 20,006 spay and neuter surgeries for pets in need. We are the largest provider of spay and neuter surgeries in Georgia, and our teams work year-round to ensure it’s affordable and accessible to pet owners in Atlanta. We celebrate World Spay Day annually on the final Tuesday in February as a way to bring attention to the importance and lifesaving impact of this simple procedure.
Many Vets Make Light Work
In order to achieve our mission of ending the shelter euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals, we look at the root causes of animal homelessness and work with our community to ensure pets are healthy and happy.
Spay and neuter plays a vital role in this work with its numerous medical and behavioral benefits for pets. This procedure prevents unwanted litters and slows the cycle of shelter overpopulation.
That said, most private vet clinics only perform a handful of spay and neuter surgeries each week, and the cost can be steep. Part of ensuring that pet owners follow through with spay and neuter for their animals is ensuring that they have a place to take them that is affordable and accessible.
In the last 6 months, LifeLine hosted dog and cat training sessions focused on high volume, high quality spay and neuter in collaboration with the United Spay Alliance and Georgia Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA). These sessions helped vets learn the unique process required for high volume surgeries, with the most recent dog session being assisted by 4 trainees and observed by 11 veterinarians, technicians and assistants. With the success of these training sessions and future ones, we hope more organizations and private clinics will join us in ramping up their affordable spay and neuter services.
The TNR Community
Trap-Neuter-Return is another important program to ensure a healthy pet population by humanely managing local cat colonies. Cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, ear-tipped (so that they are easily identified) and returned back to their original neighborhoods.
LifeLine’s efforts increased 41% from 2023 to 2024 and, to date, over 55,000 community cats have benefitted from this program.
Affordable Spay and Neuter
2024 also marked a year of mobilizing LifeLine’s free spay and neuter efforts. 9% of spay and neuter surgeries performed by LifeLine last year were done at zero cost to the client!
Year-round, Atlanta’s pet owners in Fulton and DeKalb Counties can receive FREE spay and neuter vouchers through these resources:
- SNIP (DeKalb County only)
- Pets For Life (Fulton County only)
- Healthy Pets events (both counties)
If a LifeLine client does not have a voucher, the most they would pay to spay or neuter their pet would be $175 at our Community Animal Center or College Park clinics, compared to $525 at a private clinic. If you are not local to Atlanta, organizations like Georgia SPOT Society put pet owners in touch with resources for low-cost spay and neuter services outside of Fulton and DeKalb Counties.
Can One Pet Make That Much Of A Difference?
YES! Dogs can give birth up to twice a year and cats up to 5 times a year with multiple animals per litter! Make an appointment for your pet, or refer a friend or family member to a LifeLine clinic.
