70 cats and dogs in Lawrenceville will receive free spay/neuter surgeries and rabies vaccinations at Planned PEThood of Georgia on Feb. 25, Spay Day USA, thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Georgia Pet Foundation.
Feb. 25, 2020 is Spay Day USA. This national day is devoted to bringing attention to pet overpopulation in our country. When the day was created in 1994 by the Doris Day Animal League, 14-17 million pets were killed each year in shelters across the country. Today that number is way down, closer to one million, but there is still a lot of work to do. “We are moving in the right direction,” says Planned PEThood Executive Director and Co-Founder Elizabeth Burgner. “There are people and communities that still need education on the importance of spaying and neutering their pets and financial help to make it happen. Many low-income families love their pets, but struggle to care for them medically. That is why we applied for this grant.”
According to Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement, a majority of their stray animal calls come from Lawrenceville, the largest city by population in Gwinnett County. Lawrenceville also has the highest poverty rate in the county, at 21.6%. For comparison, Georgia’s average rate is 16.9% and the national average is 14.6%. 
While this grant will not solve the overpopulation issue in Lawrenceville, it is a start. This grant from the Georgia Pet Foundation will cover free spay/neuter and Rabies vaccinations for 70 animals on Tuesday, Feb. 25, which is Spay Day USA 2020. Appointments have already been filled, but there is a waiting list to be considered if more slots open up or more funding becomes available. “We wish we could offer free services to everyone in need,” says Planned PEThood’s Development Coordinator Lauren Frost. “We are always seeking sponsorships for free services, and our regular prices are so low that with a little planning most people can afford them.” If you want to donate to our spay/neuter efforts please visit our donation page and select “Spay Day USA.”
Planned PEThood of Georgia offers low-cost spay/neuter services year-round at their Duluth clinic. Cost for surgery is between $50-$60 for a cat and $70-$110 for a dog. There are additional discounts for feral/community cats.
Earlier this month Planned PEThood of Georgia was invited to participate in “Giving Back to Gwinnett,” a radio segment on Business RadioX. 
