November 1, 2005
New York City residents with a valid Medicaid card can have their dogs spayed or neutered for $20, thanks to the Maddies Spay/Neuter Project NYC.
The project, made possible by a $6 million grant from the animal welfare foundation Maddies Fund, also sets a special price for cat sterilizations.
The goal of the project is to reduce the number of homeless dogs and cats in the city by decreasing the number of unwanted canine and feline pregnancies, officials said.
It is operated by The Mayors Alliance for NYCs Animals and the Veterinary Medical Association of NYC.
Any person with a valid Medicaid card living within New Yorks five boroughs can have a total of six pets sterilized each year at the special rates. Medicaid cards are used for identification purposes.
The rates apply only to spay or neuter surgeries, and do not include additional care such as pre-surgery testing of older pets. Veterinarians will tell clients of any additional costs prior to the surgery.
Clients must bring a valid Medicaid card and photo identification to the appointment.
Qualified persons can find participating veterinarians, as well as additional project information, on the Mayors Alliance web site.
Posted November 1, 2005, 3pm EST