Miami-Dade Animal Services to provide FREE spay and neuter surgeries for cats and dogs during “Spay It Forward!” campaign

In honor of World Spay Day, which is celebrated on February 25th, Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department (Animal Services) is launching the “Spay It Forward!” week-long campaign from Saturday, February 22nd to Friday, February 28th to offer free spay and neuter surgeries for both cats and dogs, helping to humanely manage community animal populations. This initiative is in partnership with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Miami Veterinary Foundation, The Cat Network and the Street Cat Clinic. Also honoring Beat the Heat during this week-long campaign, Animal Services will continue to collaborate with volunteer cat trappers to increase the number of free-roaming community cats benefiting from the Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) program. Animal Services will also provide free spay and neuter surgeries for all Miami-Dade County residents’ owned pets. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 311.

“With the fast-approaching springtime comes the cat and dog mating season, making now the perfect time to get our community’s pets spayed and neutered,” said Annette Jose, Animal Services Director. “A female pet and her offspring can produce hundreds of kittens or puppies, so it’s critical to get ahead of the reproductive season to humanely manage the population and reduce the number of unwanted litters brought to our shelter.”

Every year in spring and summer, Animal Services experiences an increase in the number of newborn kittens and puppies brought to the Pet Adoption and Protection Center. Like communities across the country, we struggle to care for multiple litters of young animals brought in by well-meaning good samaritans. However, a newborn’s chance of survival without their mother is very low, and neonatal pets require around-the-clock care from trained shelter staff or foster parents.

The “Spay It Forward!” campaign encourages communities to embrace the county’s TNVR program for community cats and highlights the importance of spaying and neutering both cats and dogs in winter or early spring to help humanely manage pet populations. Communities that take part in the campaign see fewer animals entering shelters, allowing shelters to focus their efforts and resources on adoption programs, community outreach, and education.

To make an appointment to spay or neuter a pet or for additional information regarding Animal Services’ TNVR program, visit www.miamidade.gov/animals or call 311.  

About Miami-Dade County Animal Services  
Every year Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department (Animal Services) provides care and refuge 15,000 lost, abandoned, injured, ill, or abused dogs and cats and affords vaccination and sterilization services to almost 20,000 free-roaming community cats. Every day, Animal Services staff works diligently to find life-long homes for these shelter animals by facilitating onsite adoptions, hosting offsite adoptions at events and locations throughout the community, and working collaboratively with rescue organizations, volunteers, and adoption partners. For more information visit www.miamidade.gov/animals and follow @AdoptMiamiPets on Facebook, Instagram and X.