For many people, dogs and cats are part of the family. Pets offer unconditional love, loyalty and companionship to their owners.
In return pet owners should do whatever they can to provide comfort and care for their pets.
But the cost of Veterinary care is increasing making it difficult for pet owners to afford the services their pets may need. Thankfully the residents of Hamilton County have a low cost spay and neuter clinic that also provides other veterinary services. ChattaNeuter Spay & Neuter Clinic assists pet owners by providing low-cost spay and neuters.
Clinic Director, Stefanie Douglass, LVMT said ChattaNeuter was founded in 2016 and opened their spay and neuter clinic in 2017.
“It was originally Brainerd Animal Hospital which was here for years and years,” she said. “Dr. (William Mack) Atkins passed away and we purchased it from his son.”
Douglass said Atkin’s family thought it would be great for the building to still be used for the care and welfare of pets.
Douglass said she, Karen Walsh, and other individuals knew there was a huge need for high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter services and founded the 501c3 non-profit.
“Just because of the overflowing shelters and homeless pets,” she said. “So, we opened in 2017 and have been going strong ever since. We just try and provide subsidized, low-cost spay and neuter services. Not only just that, but vaccines and heartworm tests and heartworm prevention, a few things to help the owners and their animals get a jumpstart on proper care.”
Douglass said the clinic does roughly 160 spays and neuters per week Monday through Friday.
ChattaNeuter is part of the Humane Alliance Spay and Neuter Training program. She said the clinic’s staff did the training program which offers licensed veterinarians and staff an educational, hands-on experience with safe, effective, and efficient spay and neuter procedures.
“So, we have very well -trained staff and a straightforward strict protocol,” she said. Douglass estimates the clinic has performed 55,000 total surgeries since they opened.
“We stay booked out at least three months in advance all year long,” she said. “And primarily the ones that we do are just private, personal folks.”
Douglass said they also provide some of their spay and neuter services to local rescue organizations and shelters such as the Northwest Georgia Humane Society and East Ridge Animal Shelter, because they don’t have on-staff veterinarians.
The goal is to improve the overall health benefits for the animals, keeps strays off the streets and reduce the number of litters being born
“We want to reduce the euthanasia numbers, the homeless animal numbers, and it's just It's hard,” she said adding they’d like to see another low-cost clinic in the area. For now, her staff is doing the best they can to make it affordable and accessible to those in need.
“We want people to be able to take care of their animals,” she said. “There's a lot of health benefits with spaying and neutering so they can live a longer healthier life. We don't want people to not be able to do it just because of the price. Especially as they get older, and the medical problems start.”
Pet owners can book an appointment online. The surgery fee is due at the time of booking. Pet owners should not feed their pets the morning of the surgery. The clinic intake staff will register the pets in the order they arrive at the clinic beginning at 7:30 a.m. for all the dogs and at 8 a.m. for incoming cats.
“When they arrive, there's a table that's out front, and they sign in at that table and return to their car,” she said. We go in order of how they're signed in. We do dogs first. We call them, go over some questions, medical questions and what not. Once we have all the services and everything that they need or want, we direct them to the back of the building where they're greeted by a technician and drop the animal off.”
Dogs should be on leashes and cats in crates, Douglass said. The pets will go home the same day to recover from surgery at home.
Douglass said some pet owners that are struggling financially may qualify for their Spay It Forward program.
“Someone's donation would pay for a pet's surgery,” she said about their special funding program to help those who need it.
“We do get grants occasionally from other organizations such as Petco or PetSmart, ASPCA, and then we do depend on our other donors for larger amounts to help, again, with any kind of medical equipment that we may need or remodels and /or just spay and neuter as well,” she said.
Douglass said the pet owner should call the clinic to see if they qualify to receive the special funds to cover their pet’s surgery.
In addition to offering spay and neuter services the clinic offers walk-in vaccine and clinic service on specific Thursdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The dates are posted on their website. Services offered at the walk-in clinic include routine pet vaccines, and microchipping. These services as well as many more are available as add-on services for the pet while undergoing surgery procedures.
Douglass graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at Chattanooga state in 2010. She has two children as well as two dogs and one cat in her home. She’s been at ChattaNeuter since it opened and said she is thankful for her staff and volunteers.
“It's kind of one of those feel-good jobs,” she said. “You know, you feel good being able to help those people that need it, that truly need it. We've got a good staff here that everybody gets long great.”
The clinic has a wish list of items they are in constant need of. The wish list is posted on their website with a link directly to Amazon to make the purchase. Most common items in need include, Isopropyl alcohol, Hydrogen Peroxide, Ziploc sandwich bags, paper towels, puppy pads, Q-tips, and AA and AAA batteries.
If you’re unable to donate funds think about donating your time as a volunteer.
ChattaNeuter Spay & Neuter Clinic
- 5950 Brainerd Road
- Chattanooga, TN 37421
- (423)-531-7729
- info@chattaneuter.com
For more information and to book an appointment visit: https://www.chattaneuter.org/
A direct link to their wish list is here: https://www.chattaneuter.org/getinvolved