SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS) is offering free spay/neuter services for cats, as well as microchipping and vaccinations for $10.
Known as the “Dude, Where’s My Cat?” program, it is limited to the first 300 cats.
Registration and scheduling can be completed at both SCCAS shelter locations: 1001 Rodriguez St. in Santa Cruz and 580 Airport Blvd. in Watsonville. Cat owners should not bring their animals to register and must bring proof of Santa Cruz County residency.
The goal of the program is to reduce the homeless cat population and reunite lost pets with owners. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, cats are 21 times more likely to be returned home from a shelter if they have a registered microchip.
The microchip includes information of the pet and the owner, and can be scanned to identify the animal and reunite it with the owner
All spay/neuter surgeries are performed at the Santa Cruz shelter location by a licensed veterinarian with a professional focus on spay/neuter procedures.
Feral cats residing in the City of Watsonville will receive an ear tip. Feral cats residing in all other areas as part of a colony (group of two or more feral cats) will receive an ear tip and must be registered with SCCAS.
For information, visit www.scanimalshelter.org.
