WEST OLIVE, Mich. — Harbor Humane Society in West Olive will be hosting a free spay and neuter clinic for cats, including a free microchip and vaccines.
The event is sponsored by the BISSELL Pet Foundation and happens Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 at the shelter.
Harbor Humane says the goal is to treat more than a hundred cats to prevent unwanted litters.
The event has already gotten lots of attention since the shelter announced it on social media.
"Within, you know, minutes of putting up the post, I was inundated with emails, I'm going through over 300 emails right now," said Jen Self-Aulgur with Harbor Humane. "And unfortunately, we'll have to turn a lot of people down. But I think it really shows the need in our community for accessible vet care."
Self-Aulgur says they see thousands of kittens a year, and kitten season, as it's called, tends to leave shelters overwhelmed, emphasizing the importance of events like these.
"We really do need to get the cat population under control. Because obviously 300 emails within, you know, a very short amount of time shows what the need is out there," Self-Aulgur said. "And obviously, spaying and neutering is the number one way that we can prevent this overpopulation crisis."
Self-Aulgur also emphasized that clinics like these help pet owners who may be struggling to get vet care. She encourages anyone in need to visit the shelter's website for help.
"We do host a lot of activities to help pets stay in their home," she said. "That's a really important thing for us to do, is to give pet owners accessible vet care, help with food, help with behavior, things like that to keep animals in their home."
While this clinic is no longer accepting applicants, Harbor Humane officials hope to hold a similar one in the coming months. To learn when Harbor Humane schedules events, check out their Facebook page.
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