EVERY DAY IS SPAY DAY at
the National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center!

Washington Humane Society has committed its staff and resources to solving the overwhelming problem of pet overpopulation and has become the leader in offering safe, affordable, high-volume sterilizations in the DC metropolitan area. The ultimate goal is to reduce the number of unwanted animals entering our shelters.

The cost of each and every surgery is subsidized by the Washington Humane Society.

Low-cost Spay/Neuter Program

The Washington Humane Society has committed its staff and resources to solving the overwhelming problem of pet overpopulation, becoming the leader in offering safe, affordable sterilizations in the DC Metropolitan area.

National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center 1001 L Street, SE (Scroll Down for Details!)

Map to Spay/Neuter Center

Click here for Clinic Instructions

Map to Spay/Neuter Center

Summary:
In October 2005, the Washington Humane Society launched a five-year strategic plan announcing the Good Home Guarantee, promising the end of euthanasia of adoptable cats and dogs at the Washington Humane Society (WHS) shelters. In order to accomplish this tremendous goal, there must be a significant increase in the volume of affordable spay/neuter surgeries in the District of Columbia and surrounding metropolitan areas in order to reduce the number of unwanted animals arriving at the shelters. As a result, the Washington Humane Society has committed its staff and resources to solving the overwhelming problem of pet overpopulation and has become the leader in offering safe, affordable, high-volume sterilizations in the DC metropolitan area.

Analyzing the Situation in the Nation’s Capital and Metropolitan Area:
The first step was to assess the need for spay/neuter in the DC metropolitan area and determine what other local groups are doing to promote and implement a solution to the pet overpopulation problem. At the February 9, 2006 meeting, representatives from most of the nearby shelters and county animal agencies attended to discuss their current sterilization needs and practices. The alarming news was that many of the area’s local groups are not able to afford sterilization surgery prior to adoption, whatsoever. Nor are there low cost spay/neuter options for the public in many local jurisdictions. Some groups have negotiated a cost-subsidizing voucher program for adopters to utilize a participating veterinarian if they choose. Every representative agreed that they would prefer a more sustainable and affordable sterilization option, but their organizations simply could not afford or manage any alternatives at this time.

Regional Participation is the Solution:
High-volume, low-cost spay/neuter surgery is finally going to be available to the DC metropolitan area! If you work with a local animal shelter or rescue group, please contact Program Manager, Lara Mangan (lmangan@washhumane.org) 202-88-ALTER for additional details about how you can get involved.

Finding a Wide-Reaching Solution:
The Washington Humane Society along with the Doris Day Animal League investigated many spay and neuter alternatives and determined that the Humane Alliance model was the most suitable approach for the DC metropolitan area. After learning about the successful impact of this 12-year transport-based operation, WHS and Doris Day Animal League staff visited Asheville to observe their methods first-hand. The Washington Humane Society has since submitted an application, been approved, and participated in the one-week onsite training in early June, in order that the WHS Spay-Neuter Clinic begins to replicate their model and approach as soon as possible.

WHS is very excited about the opportunity to work with the Humane Alliance and adapt their National Spay Neuter Response Team (NSNRT) model to a higher cost, more traffic congested area. Humane Alliance is committed to assisting us in our process of adapting their processes to our urban needs.

The Plan:
The Animals: While the volume of surgeries the original WHS Spay/Neuter clinic was able to provide is relatively small in comparison to the overwhelming number of pets who are in need, we need to start somewhere and we need to start right away. Our goal is to perform 75 sterilization surgeries per day at the new National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center.

The volume of animals will come from the Washington Humane Society Animal Shelter and DC Animal Control as well as other regional animal shelters who express interest, public animals. The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (www.awla.org) has been sterilizing their shelter animals as well as public animals in need of low-cost sterilization surgery at the Spay Neuter Clinic since July of 2006. One of the requirements for participation is that each participating shelter must commit to pre-adoption spay/neuter surgery.

Through the newly-created Cat Neighborhood Partnership Program (CatNiPP) the Washington Humane Society endorses a management method called Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and will continue neutering feral cats daily at the National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center.

The Site: The new National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center is located at 1001 L St, SE in Washington DC just across the street from the Navy Yard.

The Staff: Before moving into the new National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center on 1001 L Street, SE, a smaller Washington Humane Society Spay/Neuter Clinic was located on Georgia Avenue in NW, and performed on average 25 surgeries per day, five days a week with two veterinarians, 5 support staff, 1 volunteer and 1 program manager. This amazing team has been providing sterilization surgery for at least 125 animals each week since June 2006. The Medical Director, head technician and Program Manager have all been trained by the Humane Alliance National Spay Neuter Response Team (NSNRT) in their extremely effective high-volume procedures and protocols to ensure the best practices are followed for every single animal that arrives in the Clinic.

Transportation: Each shelter participating in the program is provided with region-wide transportation by the Washington Humane Society for their animals to and from the National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center on a pre-arranged basis. Walk-in appointments will also be accepted as space permits.

Technology: The current Spay Neuter Clinic has already implemented the Humane Alliance scheduling and support technology created by the NSNRT. This web-based software allows each group private access to their organizations’ animals’ spay-neuter data, which is included in the group participation fee. Billing arrangements will be set up on an agreed upon basis with each participating group.

Timeframe: The National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center is now open

The National Capital Area Spay and Neuter Center, located at on Capitol Hill on 1001 L Street, SE is available to service both regional shelters and rescue groups at this time. Please contact Lara Mangan, Spay/Neuter Program Manager to coordinate scheduling. 202-88-ALTER, (Lmangan@washhumane.org)

If you are interested in donating to the National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center, please visit our donations page.

Founding Member:
Alley Cat Allies

Gold Partner:
Humane Society of the United States

Partner Organizations:
Animal Welfare League of Arlington

General Partners
Weir Foundation
Ms. Gail Griffith & Mr. Gary Begeman
Friends of the National Capital Area Spay & Neuter Center
LTC. Dawna Zullo
Doug Jemal
Bosack & Kruger Foundation
Mills Family Foundation
Ms. Patricia Clarke
Mrs. Eleanora W. Worth
Ms. Karin Anderson