ASPCA supports high-volume spay/neuter program

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals provided $300,000 to sponsor the Humane Alliance of Western North Carolina's National Spay/Neuter Response Team in assisting organizations with starting 12 high-volume sterilization clinics across the country this year.

Twenty-two organizations around the country have applied to open clinics, and a minimum of 12 of the 22 will open this year, the ASPCA announced in June. These organizations will partner with hundreds of local animal shelters and rescue groups in their regions.

The Humane Alliance of Western North Carolina describes itself as a nonprofit, high volume, high quality, affordable spay/neuter clinic. It is located in Asheville. Since its inception 12 years ago, the Humane Alliance clinic has sterilized 180,000 dogs and cats and reduced the euthanasia rate in the Asheville community by 72 percent, the ASPCA stated.

Through the NSNRT initiative, which began in 2005, the Humane Alliance's team of facilitators has mentored 21 organizations across the nation in successfully implementing its high volume sterilization model. More than 200,000 dogs and cats have been surgically sterilized at these clinics in two short years, according to the ASPCA.

The team sends groups of trained veterinarians and veterinary technicians to teach nonprofit organizations how to open spay/neuter clinics using the Humane Alliance model. Six organizations have been trained this year so far, according to the ASPCA.