The Companion Animal Clinic of the Sandhills Foundation (CAC)
Mission Statement
- The Companion Animal Clinic of the Sandhills Foundation (CAC) is a regional center for the humane and responsible care of companion animals
- CAC is dedicated to eliminating the euthanasia of abandoned and unwanted animals in our region through a proactive spay/neuter program, community education, and volunteer involvement
- CAC works with local veterinarians, existing rescue and adoption organizations, surrounding county governments, and the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine to accomplish its mission
- By providing county animal control facilities with affordable spay and neuter services, CAC will be able to insure that all animals adopted from county facilities are spayed or neutered, thus enabling animal control centers to become true adoption centers
- CAC provides support for affordable spay and neuter at the Spay/Neuter Veterinary Clinic of the Sandhills for animal welfare groups and individuals that cannot afford a private veterinary practitioner
General Purpose:
- Companion Animal Clinic of the Sandhills Foundation provides support to the Spay/Neuter Veterinary Clinic of the Sandhills for many reasons. The most significant is the large numbers of unwanted animals surrendered to county animal control facilities each year. Of the 37,229 animals housed in animal control facilities in the CAC nine county region in 2005, 76% were euthanized at a cost of $2,991,725 to the taxpayer. No matter how many animal welfare groups participate to adopt animals out, the animals surrendered to animal control increase each year by about 13%. The consequence is an escalating euthanasia rate of these unwanted yet adoptable animals.
- An added component to the numbers euthanized is the demographic relationship between poverty and high rates of euthanasia. Counties with larger numbers of the population living at and below the poverty level experience higher intake to animal control centers with the result of higher euthanasia of those surrendered.
- Spayed and neutered animals make better companions and generally face reduced health costs. Neutered pets are less aggressive and less prone to wander. It makes sense for pet owners to spay and neuter for health and for economic reasons.
- The purpose of the CAC Foundation is to provide affordable spay/neuter at the Spay/Neuter Veterinary Clinic of the Sandhills by supporting the cost of operation of the clinic through vouchers. These vouchers make up the difference in the charged service fee of $45.00/$35.00 and the real cost for the service of spay/neuter. Real Costs
- We understand the need to support individuals who require help to spay/neuter their pets. We also support animal welfare groups that spay/neuter pets before adoption. By offering an affordable option both the individual cost is subsidized and animal welfare groups will spay and neuter more animals.
- Aggressive provision of spay/neuter at the Spay Neuter Veterinary Clinic will reduce the numbers of animals surrendered to animal control and reduce the level of euthanasia in our animal control facilities.
- To insure the longevity of the Spay Neuter Veterinary Clinic of the Sandhills, Companion Animal Clinic Foundation provides funding to cover the difference in real cost and the service fee for the spay neuter operation.
Jan. newsletter: Newsletter for Companion Animal Clinic of the Sandhills Foundation, Inc.
May-June 2008Newsletter