The program's purpose is to help low-income residents of Freeborn County who cannot otherwise afford to alter their pets.

Cats or large breed dogs (those that will weigh 50 lbs or more when fully grown) are the primary focus of the grant. Exceptions for dogs which do not fit the size criteria may be made on a limited basis if there are funds left after the surgeries of th epets who fit the criteria.

***An application and proof of financial need is required.***

If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact the spay/neuter program coordinator (Michelle) at 507-396-3659 and leave a message.  Please be patient as it may take a day or two to return your call.

Say/Neuter online application

Spay/Neuter application (pdf) Mail to: HSFC S/N Program, P.O. Box 423, Albert Lea, MN 56007.

Who is eligible?
Humans:  residents of Freeborn County over the age of 18 who are in financial need
Pets:  cats or large breed dogs (those that will weigh 50 lbs or more when fully grown) are the primary focus of the grant.  Exceptions for dogs which do not fit the size criteria may be made on a limited basis if there are funds left after the surgeries of the pets who fulfill requirements.  

Why do the dogs need to be large breed?
The requirements are made by the organization which gave us the funding.  We need to adhere to them as closely as possible in order to be considered for more funding next year.

Why do you need proofs?  Why those specific ones (recent tax return or household income statement from a public program)?
We ask for proofs so that only people who are truly in need benefit from the program.  Sadly, there are lots of people out there who could easily afford to fix their pets, but  don’t want to spend the money, and who see nothing wrong with taking that opportunity away from people who are less fortunate.    We are requiring these forms of proof at the recommendation of the organization which gave the Humane Society the funds for the program. These proofs list the entire household income from all sources.  

What if I don‘t have to file taxes and I’m not on a public program?
Please contact the Program Coordinator to discuss what alternate proofs could be used in your case.

How long will it take to find out if I’m approved?
There is only one person working on this, so it may take a few weeks before your application can be reviewed. Please do not call to check on the status of your application unless it has been more than 3 weeks since you mailed it.  The Program Coordinator may need to contact you for further information or clarification of your application.  The Coordinator will contact you when you are approved.

How long will the program run?
We will keep fixing pets until the funds run out.  We are aiming for September, but we may run out  far before then, since there are so many in need now with the tough economy.  Please don’t wait to apply.

Feral cats, you can see them if you know where to look. They are living outside in parks or in alleys, perhaps even in your neighborhood. They are cats who live outside without direct human contact. Some have been abandoned to fend for themselves; some of them were born outside. The longer they live on their own, away from human contact, the more feral they become.

The Freeborn County Humane Society believes we can improve the lives of feral cats and benefit the towns and communities they exist in through our Feral Cat Initiative Program by using the TNR method.

What is TNR?
Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) is becoming widely recognized as an effective and humane strategy for managing and reducing feral cat populations. TNR involves humanely trapping feral cats and transporting them to a clinic setting where they are spayed or neutered and have their ear-tipped. They may also receive a health check, vaccinations, and may be treated for minor medical conditions. After surgery, the cat is returned back to his colony and habitat – typically where caring individuals have been providing food, water and typically a form of shelter. Since the cats are no longer reproducing, the colony will gradually diminish in size. By reducing or eliminating mating, fighting and wandering, TNR makes the colony more stable, impacts the influx of newcomers, and improves the health of the cats and their environment. Performed on a large scale, the successes of these programs can be felt at animal shelters and animal control facilities where fewer cats are admitted.

Ear-tipping
Ear-tipping is a technique of removing the top corner of the cat’s left ear. This is done while the cat is under anesthesia for its spay/neuter, so there is no pain. The “tipped” ear is the universal symbol that a cat has been through a spay/neuter program, vaccinated, and sterilized – and generally part of a managed feral cat colony. This makes it possible for caretakers to differentiate between cats that have already been sterilized and ones that have not been sterilized yet. Ear-tipping also ensures that a cat will not undergo unnecessary repeat surgery should it change its habitat.

Qualifying Cats
This program WILL accept:

• Homeless free-roaming cats
• Unsocialized feral cats
• Unowned strays
• Farm Cats

The Goal of this program is to sterilize as many cats as possible, eventually reducing the number of cats that must live as unowned strays. Diverting resources from this goal will result in fewer cats spayed and neutered, and more kittens born into this difficult life. Since FeLV is primarily spread from infected mother cats to their kittens, FIV passes mainly among fighting tom cats through bite wounds, spaying and neutering alone will decrease the spread of these infections.

Cost Involved
We do not require any fees for this service.  Although, we do ask that a monetary donation of choice be given back to the Feral Cat Initiative Program by the individual or individuals assisted.

Feral Cat application (pdf) Mail to: HSFC Feral Cat Program, P.O. Box 423, Albert Lea, MN 56007.