Free Pet Spaying at Long Beach Park

A Long Beach animal rescue with support from local businesses will spay or neuter cats and dogs for free Saturday at Orizaba Park, but you must call and register.

 Called Fix Long Beach, the free service, the first mobile spaying clinic offered by West Coast Animal Rescue, is an effort to reduce the country's three to four million cats and dogs euthanized yearly in the U.S due to overpopulation.

About 40 animals will be treated. The rescue, called WeCARe for short, must be called for registration at (323) 413-7729. Pets are dropped off at 7 a.m. at Orizaba Park at 1400 Orizaba Avenue, and may be picked up at 5 p.m.

"Each free, mobile clinic is fully staffed and insured and will be equipped to sterilize approximately 40 animals, group spokesperson Leslie Bryant, wrote. "The no-cost service also includes micro-chipping, pain medications and e-collar for each animal. Each clinic costs $3,500 and is funded by each individual event sponsor and through generous donations from the community."

The mobile free spaying clinic is to help those who can't afford to "fix" their pets, the group's spokeswoman, Leslie Bryant, wrote in an e-mail. 

  “I don’t think a week has gone by in 15 years of rescuing that I haven’t been asked to take in a litter of unplanned, unwanted puppies headed for animal control,” said WeCARe founder Sherri Stankewitz. “The sad part is that most of these people share that they would have had their pet fixed if they could afford surgery – even low-cost clinics are too expensive for many people.” The hope is that this program can be replicated in other communities struggling with the pet overpopulation crisis.”

The community support and funders: Fix Long Beach, West Coast Animal Rescue, Long Beach Dog Walker Volunteers, and local area businesses, including Ace Hardware, Sliced & Diced and Fix Collision.

Learn more details with Fix Long Beach.