Big Fix project called huge success

One hundred and twenty dogs and cats have been spayed or neutered in Porterville, thanks to a grant from the American Society for the Prevention and Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

The ASPCA, founded in 1866, is the oldest humane organization in the U.S. and has a number of programs including: humane law enforcement, disaster relief, pet adoption, pet therapy, grief counseling and the animal poison control center. The ASPCA also awards grants to local organizations with spay/neuter assistance programs. Porterville’s local spay-neuter assistance project, The Big Fix was awarded the grant in August.

The Big Fix, a project of the nonprofit Central Valley Coalition for Animals, is a spay-neuter assistance program which has been working in Porterville since December 2010. In cooperation with the Porterville Police Department’s Animal Control, The Big Fix has helped a total of almost 500 Porterville area residents to get their dogs and cats fixed by subsidizing part of the cost.

“Without the help of The Big Fix, many people are not able to afford the cost of spaying or neutering their dogs and cats. The result is that over 80,000 dogs and cats enter Central Valley municipal shelters each year. Three out of four are destroyed because there simply are not enough homes for all these animals. The Central Valley has the terrible distinction of having one of the highest shelter kill rates per capita in the nation,” said The Big Fix’s Porterville Area Coordinator Angela Vera.

Porterville was selected by The Big Fix as a pilot program area for three reasons, said Vera.

First, it was recognized that there are many families in the Porterville area which are very loving caretakers of their dogs and cats but which have financial challenges making it difficult to afford normal spay/neuter costs. Second, the project concluded that Porterville’s Animal Control Supervisor, Augie Gonzalez, is exceptionally committed and dedicated to working toward the goal of having no more homeless pets in the community. Finally, The Big Fix was able to work with the dedicated staff of Henderson Veterinary Hospital and The Animal Hospital where Drs. Scheer and Dietrich, respectively, performed all of the 500 surgeries done to date in the Porterville area at reduced rates.

The initial funding for The Big Fix was provided by two private foundations and Petco Foundation. (Petco Foundation is the charitable giving arm of Petco stores.) However, the grant funds ran out at the end of the summer and at just that time, the ASPCA provided the additional funds which have allowed The Big Fix to help another 120 families.

“Spaying and neutering these animals, coupled with the commitment of Porterville’s Animal Control and the dedication of our Porterville Area Coordinator will directly impact the number of unwanted animals going into our shelters,” says Sarah Schmidt, project coordinator for The Big Fix. The Coalition has been monitoring Central Valley shelter statistics for nearly 10 years and hopes to create a model community in Porterville through its spay-neuter efforts.

“The goal is to one day make Porterville a place where every dog and cat has a loving home,” Schmidt says.