- Video shows the monthly SNIP mobile spay and neuter clinic outside Have a Heart Humane Society in Tehachapi on Saturday, Jan. 6.
- Have a Heart Humane Society says 51 pets were spayed or neutered on Saturday, and they plan to sponsor another mobile clinic next month.
- Volunteers say this is the only low-cost spay and neuter option available to pet owners in the area, and the demand is there.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The SNIP mobile clinicoffers low-cost spay and neuter options for pet owners in the area, and they made a stop in Tehachapi on Saturday, Jan. 6.
“On average, [we do] between 40 and 50 animals a day probably, like, three to five times a week,” Torres said.
Erica Torres is a prep tech with SNIP. They're a nonprofit that stands for Spay Neuter Imperative Project, and they travel around offering low-cost pet services.
While she’s only been with SNIP for about six months, Torres says she has around 13 years of veterinary experience.
“I’ve worked in shelters. I’ve worked in Florida, worked in Pennsylvania, in New York…by far, Kern County alone has had the biggest issue,” Torres said.
Torres says she sees a lot of homeless dogs in the county, and she says pets can get lost while looking for a mate.
“So spaying them and neutering them is also a really important part of preventative care for having a pet," Torres said. "The fact that we offer a more affordable option is good because we’re trying to help with pet retention in Kern County, which is a big problem.”
The SNIP clinic has been a monthly visitor to Tehachapi for the past few years.
“We’ve contracted or sponsored the SNIP bus since late 2020," Amanda Crisenberry said. "Last year, in 2023, we did over 500 pets for the Tehachapi community alone.”
Amanda Crisenberry volunteers with Have a Heart Humane Society and is a board member-at-large. She says the cost of spay and neutering is included in Have a Heart’s adoption fee to ensure pets are taken care of.
Miguel Camarena adopted his cat from Have a Heart Humane Society. His cat was one of 51 pets the mobile clinic spayed or neutered on Saturday, Jan. 6.
“I heard about Have a Heart, and I went in and adopted a kitty. They told me, like, when you adopt them, you can get the vaccinations and snip for free," Camarena said. "So I was like, okay I’m gonna go ahead and do that.”
Crisenberry says this is the only low-cost spay and neuter option for Tehachapi, and the demand is there.
“From what we’ve been told, we do receive between five and 10 calls a day looking for assistance for spay and neuter, and that could range from $300 to $600 at a regular vet office," Crisenberry said. "Ours costs $35 to the public.”
Have a Heart Humane Society says they are privately funded and spend around $90,000 per year sponsoring the mobile spay and neuter clinics. This month, they say local nonprofit Cheers to Charity sponsored the SNIP bus, and they hope to connect with more sponsors in the future to continue to offer this service to their community.
“The price of spay and neuter is really high, and a lot of people have, you know, an issue with that," Crisenberry said. "So we are the only low-cost spay and neuter clinic for our community.”
The SNIP mobile clinic is parked outside Have a Heart Humane Society once a month in Tehachapi, and volunteers say you can look for updates on their Facebook page to find out when they'll return in February.
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