BIG NEWS!!!!
A few years ago, we had a dream. A dream that we could build our own spay/neuter clinic on our grounds and offer low-cost surgery options to our community members, our peers at other shelters, and for our own shelter animals. We have been able to achieve a part of that dream by remodeling our existing in-house clinic to accommodate equipment for surgery and being licensed by the Department of Agriculture to perform surgeries. Dr. Rachel Getgen and Dr. Erin Purvis have been performing spay/neuter here for shelter owned animals over the past year. They have successfully altered over 400 animals in our care! This one simple thing has done so much to help with finalizing adoptions sooner and moving animals out of the shelter and into homes so much more quickly. But there is much more to do!
We undertook a huge fundraising project, and our dream is now becoming a reality!!! Our new spay/neuter clinic will be opening in the spring of 2026. When this clinic is open, we will be able to offer spay/neuter services to the community, not just our shelter animals. It will be the single most impactful accomplishment for the overall welfare of animals in Yancey County to date!
Everything we do is made possible by the generosity of people and organizations and together we will change the future of domestic dogs and cats in Yancey County! Until our new clinic opens, the below details our program and its requirements.
Low Cost Spay/Neuter Program
The YCHS has historically offered a low cost spay/neuter program. This program allows the general public to have their personal pets altered through an out-of-house service (the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance in Asheville) that we provide transport to and from. We are in the process of building our very own spay/neuter clinic so that we no longer have to transport to Asheville, but that will be a couple of years out, so for now, we will be transporting to Asheville.
Below are some guidelines concerning the spay/neuter program.
CATS AND DOGS
- Kittens must be at least 12 weeks old and weigh at least 3 pounds.
- Puppies must be 8 weeks old. It is recommended for them to go to surgery without at least 2 sets of core vaccinations. Core vaccines are given in a series of three sets, when your puppy is 8, 12, and 16 weeks old and includes: rabies vaccination, canine distemper, canine hepatitis or adenovirus-2, and canine parvovirus, but that is left up to the owner.
- You do not need to bring your pet in to register him/her for surgery.
The ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance in Asheville provides canine and feline spay and neuter services for our shelter. Cats and dogs are $75 plus an additional $10 IF your cat/dog is not up to date on his/her rabies vaccine. Surgeries are scheduled once a month, and the date is determined by the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance. It is always on a Monday, however. In order to schedule your dog or cat, you will need to come to the shelter, fill out the paperwork and pay. The required surgery waiver MUST be signed in person; therefore, phone reservations or scheduling is not allowed…no exception.
The price of $75.00 covers only the cost of surgery. If your pet is not up to date on his/her rabies vaccination as indicated above, you will be required to pay an additional $10.00 and you will receive a rabies tag and certificate.
ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance does offer more services at the time of surgery, including microchips, nail trims, etc. If you are interested in additional services, you can discuss this with the shelter staff when you sign up.
There are times when grants are available for spay/neuter at a lower cost or potentially no cost. Just inquire at the time of sign up, or feel free to call us and ask if there are grant funds available to help offset the $75.00 fee.
AFTERCARE
You will receive a post op report that has the surgery information, post op instructions as well as any concerns noted during surgery, i.e. dental concerns, fleas…etc. If you would like to read the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance’s After Surgery instructions, please click HERE.
**Please note for puppies and dogs, we do not have, nor are we given, specific records regarding public animals. Please call the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance center for questions and/or concerns. A toll free 365/24/7 phone number is listed on the handout you receive. If you cannot find the handout, here are the current phone numbers for questions/concerns: during office hours: (828) 252-2079 OR after office hours: (855) 434-9285.