Clinic

Do you have any other clinics besides your Duluth, GA location?

While we do not have any other clinics, there are many other low-cost spay/neuter clinics in Georgia. Click here for a complete list of Spay/Neuter Resources by county.

 

I can’t afford your discounted prices, are there any other options for me?

We work with a number of organizations that provide financial assistance for spay/neuter services. If you want to get your personal pet fixed but can’t afford it, please reach out to the following organizations below.

Spay Georgia

Animal Alliance of Georgia

Spay/Neuter Coalition

Friends of Animals

Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends (AARF)

If you have a pit bull or chihuahua (mixes included) and live in Gwinnett County contact us to ask about the $15 special. (Funds are limited.)

 

How is Planned PEThood able to spay/neuter and provide vaccines for my pet for such a low price?

Planned PEThood is a non-profit organization. Our mission is to reduce the number of animals killed in our local shelters and to provide affordable services, not to make a profit. We keep overhead costs low in order to keep our prices affordable. Donations are welcome to assist with our efforts!

 

Will my pet be in good hands with Planned PEThood’s staff?

Planned PEThood employs only trained and experienced doctors, technicians, and assistants. Our veterinarians are fully licensed and receive ongoing training in the latest surgical techniques.

 

Will my pet experience any pain?

Injections and post-operative medicine to control pain and inflammation are included in the surgery price for every pet.

 

I don’t need to have my pet fixed. Can I just get his shots at Planned PEThood?

Yes! Planned PEThood offers vaccine clinics on Saturdays twice monthly.  For information and pricing, please go to our Vaccine Clinics page.

Fostering

What Responsibilities do Foster Parents Have?

As a foster parent, you provide housing, training, grooming, transportation to vet care and adoption events, and a lot of TLC. Foster parents play an important role in the adoption process. As a foster parent for Planned PEThood, we ask you to monitor the foster animal’s behavior and health and notify us of any concerns or questions. No one knows and can market your foster pets better than you!  Typically, foster pets will remain with their foster parents until they are adopted.  This may be a matter of days, weeks, or in some cases, months. If you are interested in being a short-term relief or quarantine foster for 2-3 weeks we need those as well!

 

What is Required to Become a Foster Parent?

Planned PEThood is under the jurisdiction of the Georgia Department of Agriculture and a home inspection is required every six months by a Planned PEThood representative. (It isn’t scary, and we don’t care if you did the dishes!)

You will be assigned the name and contact information for a mentor.  Your mentor will be available to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have about the process.

Planned PEThood has established medical protocol that you will be asked to follow. Someone will review these with you before you receive a foster pet. All routine medical care is performed at our Duluth Spay/Neuter Clinic. The foster home must be able to arrange to get the foster pet to the clinic as needed.

 

What does Planned PEThood Provide?

Planned PEThood is known for providing the highest possible standard of care for our foster pets.  Our dedicated foster home veterinary assistant will help guide foster animals through their medical needs. Planned PEThood will cover all age appropriate vetting including vaccinations, testing (FeLV/FIV for cats, heartworm for dogs), spay/neuter, deworming, microchipping, and other routine medical care in a timely fashion.

Basic supplies such as pet food, crates, litter boxes, litter, collars, and leashes are provided by Planned PEThood.

If you are interested in volunteering with our foster program, please fill out the form below or e-mail foster@PEThoodGA.org with questions. Someone from our staff will contact you within 2-3 business days.

Adoption

What is the adoption process?

Once you have found the animal you are interested in adopting, please fill out an adoption application form (located on the right panel of this page). Once an application is submitted, a volunteer or foster parent will contact you shortly! All of our adoptable animals are located in foster homes. Please allow 24-48 hours for a response. If you have additional questions contact adoptions@PEThoodGA.org

 

Why do you require two kittens be adopted together?

In short, two are simply better than one. While growing up the kittens will have a live-in playmate. This means less work for you! Both kittens can burn off extra energy by chasing, pouncing and play hunting each other throughout the house. Giving them an outlet for their kitten crazies means they’ll have less energy to engage in destructive behaviors like scratching the couch! It also helps them be properly socialized and learn feline communication and behaviors, such as how to greet another cat, how to show affection, or to ask another cat to play. This isn’t something we can teach them – they have to learn it from other cats. Read this great article about adopting two kittens.

 

What are your adoption fees?

KITTENS (under 5 months old)
– One kitten $120
– Two kittens $200
– Three kittens $270

 

CATS (more than 5 months old)
– One cat $90
– Two cats $150
– Three cats $200
– One cat and one kitten $180

 

DOGS
– Puppies and dogs up to 7 years old $300
– Dogs 8 years or older $250

 

What is included in your adoption fee?

All of our animals are up-to-date on vaccinations, spayed/neutered, microchipped, dewormed, and free of fleas. Dogs are heartworm tested and treated if necessary, and cats are combo tested for FIV/FeLV. Additionally, any medical needs the animal has prior to adoption such as additional surgeries, diagnostic tests, and treatments are included in the adoption fee.

 

After I adopt my new pet, when do they need to go to the vet? How can I get flea/tick and heartworm prevention?

All of our animals are healthy when leaving our program. However, we do recommend visiting your primary veterinarian within the first month of adoption. We encourage you to bring their medical records and establish a relationship with a full-service veterinary clinic. Dogs will need heartworm medication shortly after adoption, which you can only get with a prescription. If you adopted your cat or dog from Planned PEThood you can request to purchase flea/tick preventatives and heartworm preventatives from our online pharmacy. They will be shipped to your house for FREE. Click here to set up an account and place an order.

 

How do I keep my cat/kitten from scratching me and my furniture?

1. Make sure your cat has a tall scratching post. Something they can stretch the full length of their body and beyond. Cats instinctively like to scratch tall things like trees. If they don’t have the proper place to scratch they can move to tall furniture. Here is a great cat tree. 

 

2. Trim the cat’s nails every 2-4 weeks. As a kitten it is important you touch the kitten’s feet often, so cutting their nails is a pleasant experience. Here is a great video to learn the ropes! How to Cut Your Cat’s Nails.

 

3. Try having your vet or groomer place Soft Claws on your cat’s nails. They will super glue soft rubber tips to your cat’s nails that will be pain-free and ensure scratching does not hurt or damage anything. These last  on average a few weeks at a time, and can be replaced as often as you need. https://www.softpaws.com/

 

What do I do if the adoption doesn’t work out?

If at any time your adoption is not working please reach out to us. We often can offer guidance, assistance, and training depending on the issue you are facing. If at any time you can no longer keep the animal you adopted from Planned PEThood, please contact info@PEThoodGA.org or 678-561-3491 immediately. We always take our animals back. If you abandon your adopted animal, or bring it to another shelter you may be held responsible for monetary damages.

Rescue

I need to find a new home for my pet. Will you take it?

Planned PEThood of Georgia does rescue and place homeless animals, however we pull animals in grave need directly from animal control agencies. Before reaching out to shelters please make every attempt to find a new home for the animal through friends, family, social media, church, and other creative outlets. If you are looking to place your personal pet with a rescue program please reach out to the following Atlanta area no-kill shelters.

 

I found an orphaned kitten what should I do?

Fight your instinct to pick up the kittens and care for them, at first. If they are safe, leave the kittens alone. Keep an eye on them from a distance. Mom most likely is coming back to get her kittens. They may have fallen when she was moving to a new  location, or she heard you coming and is hiding. Do not touch, especially if they are newborns.  If they are in an unsafe place, move them or put them in a box not far from where they were found, put out some food for mom, and watch for a distance. If mom is not back in a few hours, then it is time to try to care for them on your own. Call your local shelter or rescue group to see if they can offer guidance or assistance. Here is a great article on caring for orphaned kittens.

 

I found an animal what should I do?

If the animal seems to be healthy, we suggest you bring it to your closest clinic to be scanned for a microchip. You are welcome to come to our clinic during business hours and we can help scan for a chip at no charge. If the animal is not chipped, and unable to be reunited with the owner the next step is to bring it to your county shelter. If the animal is lost the county shelter is the first place an owner will go to look for their pet. Additionally, we suggest you post the found pet on www.helpinglostpets.com and checking the NextDoor App in the area the animal was found if possible. If you choose not to bring the animal to the shelter, please ensure every effort is made to find the original owner. Accidents happen and animals can wander miles from home. The pet may have a family desperately searching for this animal.

TNR/Community Cats

What is TNR?

Trap-Neuter-Return, or “TNR,” is the most humane and effective method known for managing Community Cats and reducing their numbers. The cats, who typically live together in a group called a colony, are trapped and brought to a veterinary clinic. They are then spayed/neutered, vaccinated for rabies and eartipped. After they’ve recovered from their surgeries, the cats are returned back to their original territory where a caretaker provides regular food and shelter. When foster or permanent homes are available, young kittens and friendly adults are removed and placed for adoption.

 

What is an Ear Tip?Feral cat with an eartip in the woods.

An ear tip is a painless procedure done during the spay/neuter surgery. It is the universal symbol for a Community Cat that has been spayed or neutered. Ear-tipping allows people to tell from a distance whether or not a Community Cat has been spayed or neutered. That tipped ear saves the cat the stress of being trapped and anesthetized a second time. It does not affect their hearing.

 

What are the benefits of TNR?

  • Ends nuisance behaviors from Community Cats such as fighting, spraying, and howling
  • Prevents repeated unwanted litters of kittens
  • Saves thousands of taxpayer dollars by keeping these cats out of county shelters
  • Rids neighborhoods and businesses of rodents and snakes organically. With a Community Cat on the premises, you will finally be able to do away with rat poisons, mouse traps, and dirty rodent droppings.
  • Studies prove that spaying and neutering Community Cats improves their overall health

TNR balances the needs and concerns of the human communities in which many Community Cats live. People don’t want cats rounded up and killed. TNR is the only humane option to reduce and stabilize the large populations of Community Cats.

Removing Community Cats from their home is counter productive. Each colony of cats has a territory that they defend from other colonies of cats. If cats are removed, it leaves an open territory where more unaltered cats will move in and start the breeding cycle all over again.

If taken to a shelter, unsocialized Community Cats “feral cats” are not considered adoptable and, unfortunately, are often euthanized.

 

Do you loan traps?

We loan humane trap from Tru Catch along with Drop Traps to the public. There are 50 traps available for loan. If you would like to reserve a trap, you can click here to fill out our online Trap Reservation Request form or give us a call at (678) 541-9370.  We loan our traps out for 2 weeks at a time. We require a deposit for each trap. We will not charge your credit card unless you do not bring the trap(s) back within two weeks’ time. There is usually a 1-2 week waiting list for our traps.

Our Community Cats program is a resource, not a rescue. We will not remove cats from your property. We will provide you with the tools and support you need to effectively and humanely manage these cats. If you need help with trapping a colony or any other questions please contact us at (678) 541-9370 or ferals@pethoodga.org.

If you are interested in becoming a member of our TNaRmy Volunteers to help at predetermined trapping locations around Gwinnett please fill out an volunteer application today!

Visit our Spay and Neuter Surgery page for information and pricing for feral cat spay/neuter surgery!

 

I have wild cats at my home or business, will you come get them?

In short, no, and neither will Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement. Wild/feral cats are treated as wildlife in Georgia and are only to be removed from their habitat when sick or injured. Think of them as squirrels or birds. They are part of the habitat and community. However, there are things you can do to prevent them from reproducing or from coming onto your property. (see below)

 

What can I use to keep wild cats off of my property, but without harming them?

There are a few things you can get to keep cats off your property humanely. First, make sure the animals are not owned. They may be your neighbors, and a simple discussion may solve the issue. Certain plants will naturally deter cats, such as: Lavender, Rue, Pennyroyal, Coleus Canina, Lemon Thyme, Lemon Grass. The most effective tool we have found is a scarecrow  motion sensor water sprayer that can be found on Amazon for $67.

 

I want to help spay/neuter the community cats I am caring for, but I can’t afford to fix them all. Can you help? 

Absolutely! You have taken the first step in becoming a responsible community cat caregiver. If you are willing to put in the work to trap, transport, and recover the animals we can help you financially with your TNR efforts. We may not be able to cover all of the expenses, but we will do what we can. E-mail Jeani at jwampler@PEThoodGA.org to discuss options. Additionally, you can contact Spay Georgia they have grant funding to assist with a select number of community cats each month.

 

There is a sick/injured community cat. What should I do?

If the animal is sick/injured it needs to be seen by a veterinarian immediately. If the animal in unable to be handled by you or any humans you will need a humane trap. Please contact us at 678-561-3491 and let us know you need to borrow a trap, and it is for an injured animal. We keep a small supply of traps available for sick/injured animals. If you are able to trap it, and want to try and help it or treat it we suggest visiting Barnick Animal Care in Suwanee. They are the only clinic we work with that works closely with unsocialized cats. If you are unable to trap in yourself, please contact Gwinnett Animal Welfare at 770-339-3200 and inform them there is a sick/injured animal. They will dispatch officers to attempt to rescue the animal.

 

Other

This is a great cause! How can I help Planned PEThood?

Spread the word! Let your friends and family know how much you believe in having affordable, accessible spay/neuter services. Show your support by donating funds and by volunteering, which help us keep our costs low.

 

Where can I see recent statistics about your program?

You can click here to download our 2019 Rescue and Clinic Statistics.

You can click here to download our 2018 Rescue and Clinic Statistics.