16 Years of Paws, Purpose & Progress!

Planned PEThood is celebrating its 16th anniversary – marking 16 years of saving lives, preventing animal suffering, and expanding access to veterinary care throughout Georgia.

Founded in 2010 as a Duluth based nonprofit, low-cost spay and neuter clinic for cats and dogs, Planned PEThood has grown into a comprehensive, prevention-focused animal welfare powerhouse serving pets, families, and communities across Northeast Georgia and Metro Atlanta.

Over the past 16 years, the organization has expanded its services to include affordable veterinary wellness care, treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, spay and neuter services, community cat TNVR, rescue and adoption, and community outreach. Its FIDO Mobile Spay and Neuter Clinic and free community vaccine clinics extend veterinary services to communities with limited access to affordable pet care. Planned PEThood also provides veterinary services for animals in the care of county and municipal animal welfare agencies.

In 2025, Planned PEThood helped more than 12,400 cats and dogs. In 2026, the organization is on pace to serve nearly 20,000 pets.

What sets Planned PEThood apart is its focus on prevention.

While adoption remains an important part of animal welfare, Planned PEThood works to address the factors that cause animals to enter shelters in the first place. By providing affordable and accessible nonprofit veterinary care, spay and neuter services, community cat population management, and preventive services, the organization works to reduce unwanted litters, prevent illness, and help keep pets in their homes.

“Sixteen years ago, we started with a simple goal: make spay and neuter more accessible to the community,” said CJ Bentley, Chief Executive Officer at Planned PEThood of Georgia. “Today, that same commitment to prevention has grown into a much broader approach to animal welfare – one that focuses on addressing problems before they become family, shelter or animal welfare crises.”

The organization will celebrate its 16th anniversary in September and October 2026 with opportunities to highlight the people, pets, programs, and milestones that have shaped its journey.

“Sixteen years represents thousands of individual moments—an animal receiving care, a litter that never enters a shelter, a family able to access veterinary services, or a community gaining resources to better care for its pets,” said Bentley. “We’re proud of how far we’ve come and excited about what the next 16 years can bring.”

Help us continue these lifesaving services. Give $16, to celebrate our Sweet 16.