GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. - More than 300 dogs in Clay County will get spay and neuter surgeries for free, or at a low cost, thanks to the nonprofit Florida Animal Friend. 

Florida Animal Friend is a coalition made up of the Florida Animal Control Association, the Florida Veterinary Medical Association, and the Humane Society of the United States. 

Clay County Animal Services started offering these surgeries last November, and it now has just 30 surgeries left to reach its goal of 333 surgeries. Most of those remaining surgeries have already been scheduled.

Florida Animal Friend awarded Clay County Animal Services (CCAS) a $20,000 grant to complete these surgeries for dogs living in households earning less than $70,000 annually.

“We did not add any staffing for the grant and just used the funds to cover the cost of as many surgeries as we could,” Animal Services Shelter Veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Broadhurst explained. “It has been a challenge, but also very rewarding to be able to get over 300 pets in the community spayed and neutered for owners who might not otherwise have been able to afford it.”

The shelter has been working hard to help control pet overpopulation through a variety of community programs, and encourages everyone to get their pets fixed.

“Clay County Animal Services takes in a large number of cats and dogs each year and the majority of them are unaltered,” Broadhurst noted. “The more pets in the community that we can get spayed and neutered, the more we may see a dent in pet overpopulation.”

“Spay/neuter should be a part of the solution instead of the problem,” said Animal Services Director Ernest Hagen. 

“Spaying and neutering can definitely lead to happier and healthier family pets!” Broadhurst also pointed out. “[Pets] are less likely to roam and get lost or hit by a car, [and are more likely] to decrease some undesirable behaviors. There are also several medical conditions that can be prevented through sterilization.”

Florida Animal Friend’s grant is funded in part through its spay and neuter license plate program, which you can support by purchasing a specialty license plate like the one pictured below.

 With each purchase, $25 goes directly to fund free or low-cost spay and neuter services across the state, at organizations like Clay County Animal Services.  

You can make your selection online, by mail, or in person at the tax collector’s office. 

To order a plate online, visit the Florida Animal Friend’s website.

With your purchases and donations, you are helping animal welfare organizations one step closer to ensuring that all animals can have a safe, happy, and loving home. 

If you would like to find out more about the programs available for income-qualified households in Clay County, you can reach Clay County Community Services at (904) 529-4256, or email questions to ClayCares@ClayCountygov.com.