Altered Tails Barnhart Clinic is offering a free spay and neuter clinic as part of its grand opening in Tucson on Saturday, July 23.
The nonprofit clinic, which started as a volunteer-run spay-and-neuter referral service in the Phoenix area 13 years ago, expects to perform up to 70 free surgeries on a first-come, first-served basis that first day.
But it’s Altered Tails longer term projections — 9,000 spay and neuter surgeries within its first year, and 10,000 to 12,000 annually in subsequent years — that show a potential to make a significant dent in curbing Pima County’s homeless animal population.
The clinic’s expansion to Tucson was made possible by a $500,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, Inc. given to support the new clinic and get it open and running, said Susan Kricun, an Altered Tails spokeswoman.
PetSmart Charities has committed an additional $100,000 to subsidize spay and neuter surgeries to keep costs low at that clinic, Kricun said. The clinic has also been instrumental in “Fix, Adopt, Save,” a campaign of which decreased the euthanasia rates in Maricopa County by more than 70 percent over three years, she said.
“PetSmart Charities’ investment in Altered Tails should have a hugely positive impact on PACC,” Karen Hollish, Pima Animal Care Center’s development and marketing director said Thursday.
Making spay and neuter surgeries even more affordable and accessible for in Pima County will keep thousands of unwanted pets out of area shelters in the years to come, Hollish said.
“That means they won’t be coming to our doors in need of food, shelter and medical help. We’re incredibly grateful to PetSmart Charities for this new resource and are so excited to welcome Altered Tails to our community,” Hollish said.
The new 4,600-square-foot clinic is located at 225 E. Valencia Road, and starting Saturday will be open four days a week, Tuesdays through Fridays, in addition to the third Saturday of the month from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Altered Tails will also offer low cost vaccinations.
While a spay or neuter surgery could exceed $400 at a private veterinary practice, Altered Tails Barnhart Clinic can offer it for under $100 for dogs and $50 for cats because that is the clinic’s focus, Kricun said.
Privately owned animals will make up the bulk of the clinic’s practice, but Altered Tails will also collaborate with PACC to assist with spay and neuter surgeries when the shelter faces overflow conditions due to high intake numbers. More than 25,000 animals enter shelters in Pima County each year and thousands more are need of spay and neuter services.
Altered Tails Barnhart Clinic got its start in 2003 as a volunteer-run group that referred people to clinics in Maricopa County that performed spay and neuter surgeries at that time.
In 2005, volunteers started a mobile Altered Tails clinic to meet demand. Two years later, supporters donated a building to Altered Tails. They received additional funding to renovate and open the organization’s first standalone clinic in 2009.
