MRFRS’s Commitment to Providing Spay/Neuter Access

Hello friends,

Access to spay and neuter is a critical resource for cats and their caretakers for their overall health and wellbeing as well as being a key tool in containing the overpopulation of both owned and un-, or loosely owned cats.  MRFRS has been committed to providing access to spay and neuter to those most-at-need since 1992, altering over 83,000 cats to date through our Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR) clinics and Catmobile.

Incredible progress has been made in pet spay and neuter since 1970 when 20 million shelter pets were euthanized per year.  Fast forward to today when less than 1 million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters each year, despite the substantial growth in human population and increased pet ownership overall.  While this trend is certainly positive, challenges remain.  These last years have been unique to say the least, and instead of the situation becoming increasingly positive for access to spay neuter, for a variety of reasons it has become more dire.  Some pet owners and caretakers trying to help unowned cats are struggling to find a vet that will see their cats, and many are unable to afford the procedure at full cost or even when discounted.

To better understand the realities for cats in our communities, MRFRS is conducting a needs assessment to determine where access to affordable spay neuter is most needed.  What we know so far is that there are very few organizations focused on bringing affordable spay neuter services to those who need it, and the access currently provided does not meet demand.  The study will provide us with more precise knowledge of the volume and where the unmet needs are highest so we can focus more of our efforts in those areas.

In the meantime, via our Catmobile, we will continue to bring affordable spay neuter to towns across eastern MA.  We will double our capacity when our new mobile spay neuter vehicle arrives later this year, and we will explore increased access to affordable wellness services for cats.

In 2022, we are calling on our supporters to become CATalysts and be a driving force to help cats and caretakers in need. I hope that you will “raise your paws” and support our work to improve access to affordable spay/neuter services in our communities.

Dave Betournay, Interim Director, MRFRS