Friday’s Focus: FACE Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic

Each Friday we highlight a 501 © (3) pet charity. We hope that in highlighting these worthy causes, it brings awareness to their mission and maybe even the ultimate: a forever family for an adoptable dog.  If you would like your organization highlighted please contact me at doggiesandstuff@gmail.com.

Name of your organization: FACE Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic

Web Address: http://facespayneuter.org

Mission of your organization:

The Solution Lies in Prevention
Thousands of cats, dogs, kittens and puppies are killed in Indianapolis shelters every year, while only a fraction is adopted. Uncounted thousands more suffer and die on the streets each year. There are simply too many animals and not enough homes. Cities across the country have proven that low-cost spay/neuter clinics are the most effective means of eliminating pet overpopulation.

FACE therefore established a high-volume, low-cost spay/neuter clinic as well as a low-cost vaccine clinic in Indianapolis. FACE’s clinic is dramatically reducing pet overpopulation and the misery and death that come with it for thousands of animals in the Indianapolis area. Additionally, fewer animals being born means it’s easier to find homes for existing animals.

How long has your organization been operating? The Foundation Against Companion-Animal Euthanasia (FACE) was formed in July, 1993 for the purpose of establishing programs and policies which would decrease the number of unwanted dogs and cats euthanized in the Indianapolis area each year. Because of the proven effectiveness of low-cost spay/neuter clinics in other cities, its initial efforts were focused on encouraging the Humane Society of Indianapolis or the City of Indianapolis to start such a clinic. Unsuccessful in these efforts, FACE established itself as a 501(c)3 organization and began fund raising efforts to start its own “low-cost, high-volume” spay/neuter clinic in Indianapolis.

On March 8, 1999 FACE opened the state of the art FACE Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic to the public.

The community response has been overwhelming. FACE performs more than 70 surgeries a day and has performed thousands of sterilizations since first opening . Appointments are routinely filled three to four weeks ahead of time.

FACE has grown from a small grass roots group to a large mainstream organization comprised of volunteers from a wide variety of professions, backgrounds and life experiences. The FACE Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic has become known nationally as one of the premier facilities in the country, and locally FACE has become recognized as the progressive leader in the fight against pet overpopulation in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Star emphasized this in its August 1998 editorial when the paper endorsed FACE as the only organization in Indianapolis providing what was really needed to successfully combat pet overpopulation. The editorial ended with the statement, “It’s time for the movers and shakers to stand with [FACE] so fewer innocent animals must pay the price.”

Describe some of your programs:
In an effort to maximize the impact the FACE Spay/Neuter Clinic has on pet overpopulation in the Indianapolis area, we create programs to target animals who are in a high-risk group, meaning cats and dogs like them are present in large numbers in local shelters, and are often stray or otherwise suffering.

We raise money to provide discounted or free spay/neuter surgeries for female cats (who have had a litter), outdoor cats and dogs, large dogs and pit bulls.

We also started a new program called “Neighborhood Cat Program”. This program is designed to help the people who care for and feed the outside cats in their Marion County neighborhood get those cats spayed/neutered to prevent litters of kittens born on the streets. If you feed cats outside who are not feral, but were perhaps once house cats and are friendly with people, we want to help you get them fixed and vaccinated. In fact, If you are feeding stray or feral cats in Marion County, you are required by the city’s TNR ordinance to fix, vaccinate, eartip the cats and be registered with IndyFeral.

FACE’s Neighborhood Package provides spay/neuter, vaccinations, ear tip and flea/tick control for outdoor, stray cats who are socialized to humans for $20.

What is your biggest challenge? Probably community outreach. That is, convincing people that spaying/neutering their pets is the responsible and RIGHT thing to do. Just a few of the reasons to spay/neuter your pet include: A spayed or neutered pet is better behaved focusing their attention on their human families rather than seeking out a mate. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering. It is also good medicine to spay/neuter your pet. A spayed or neutered animal will live a longer, healthier life. Lastly, you can help prevent the suffering and death of millions of animals. Conservative estimates state that every low-cost spay/neuter prevents on the average four unwanted births in each of the next three years. Almost everyone loves puppies and kittens, but some people lose interest when these animals grow up. As a result, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized annually or suffer as strays. Rarely surviving for more than a few years on their own, strays die painfully by starvation, disease, freezing or being hit by cars.

What other information would you like my readers to know about your organization?
Besides offering low cost spay/neutering, we also offer a low-cost vaccine clinic every day of the week which includes basic vaccinations, microchipping, heartworm/FELV Feline Leukemia testing, deworming, and flea/tick meds. Check our website for the times we are open.