Adoption initiative
Portable clinic offers more access to animal services
Broward County Animal Care and Adoption is delivering spay/ neuter services to the neighborhoods that need it most.
Its new portable sterilization clinic opened in Reverend Samuel Delevoe Park in Fort Lauderdake, scheduled to operate there for about six months. The unit will then be relocated to another locale with high numbers of unwanted animals.
“This is a wonderful service for residents for spay and neuter to help keep the pet population down,” said Lisa Mendheim, public education coordinator for Broward Animal Care. It is capable of treating nearly 5,000 pets per year.
The customized clinic is the first of its type in the nation. Itwas built by Coconut Creek-based manufacturer FORTS. The sides of the insulated-aluminum shelter fold in so the unit can be quickly moved.
Inside the 400-square-foot space are two surgery tables and a post-op recovery area. Animals can be dropped off in the morning and picked up at night.
Staff from the Humane Society of Broward County will perform the surgeries. Each patient will receive a rabies vaccination and a Broward County license tag with the procedure.
It ’s part of the county’s BrowardPetFix initiative. Called the SNIP program, residents can apply online for vouchers. Depending on income, the surgery may be free or require a small co-pay.
Those on government assistance or low income will have no co-pay, Mendheim said.
It is free for cats, large dogs and large-breed puppies. Small breeds are accepted, but based on income, might have a co-pay. Community cats also welcomed at no charge.
“People feeding community cats in the area can take advantage of the program,” Mendheim said. Those cats will be ear notched and released making a “tremendous impact on our live-release rate,” she said.
“By identifying and sterilizing at-risk pets in our community, we can reduce reproduction and subsequently diminish pet
overpopulation in our community,” saidThomasAdair, director of the county’s animal care division.
Reverend Samuel Delevoe Park is at 2520 NW Sixth St. in Fort Lauderdale. For vouchers and appointments call 954-463-7729 or apply on Broward.org/Animal.
HelenWolt can be reached at hwolt@tribpub.com.