Spayed at our Maywood Clinic by Dr. Rachel Hoffman
A few months ago, we changed our approach. We began offering cash to people who said no to our free spay/neuter services. Instead of walking away and waiting for the next litter to show up, we offered a different kind of help: $200 for a large breed dog, $100 for a small breed dog, and $50 per cat. No questions asked. No ID required. We cover everything—spay/neuter, vaccines, microchips, transportation to and from our Maywood clinic.
Puppy “King” was neutered and his person received $200 cash
Jojo was neutered along with his siblings
One case has taken months. Twenty-five small dogs living with someone who is unhoused. At first, they didn’t want help. They’d been burned before—people saying they wanted to help, but only interested in taking the puppies without their consent. But one of our outreach workers kept showing up. Didn’t push. Didn’t judge. Just talked.
Dogs transported to and from our Maywood Clinic
That’s how it started. The first trip to our clinic was nine dogs. Two weeks later, four more. Then another four just this week. One small dog had a history of urinary infections. Dr. Hoffman found a kidney stone during surgery and removed it. Every dog was spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, nails trimmed, dewormed, ears cleaned. They all went back home the same day.
Kidney stone removed during surgery
Dogs waiting to be spayed and neutered at our Maywood clinic
There are still two mama dogs with nursing puppies. Once the puppies are weaned, we’ll spay the mothers and find homes for the litters. When it’s all done, 25 dogs will have been sterilized, avoided being taken to the shelter, and we continue working on a long term plan, with hopes of placing the majority of the dogs in homes.
There’s a difference between someone who started with a male and a female dog and ended up with more because they didn’t have access to services—and someone who is breeding dogs on purpose to sell them. We know the difference. And we have a clear policy. If someone refuses to sterilize their pets, they are not eligible for any of our programs. No pet food. No vet care. And if we know someone is breeding dogs for profit, we don’t look the other way. We’ve reported breeders in the past to animal control, and we will again.
We want our supporters to understand where we stand. Our program is strict. It’s based on accountability and trust. We don’t claim to solve everything, but we show up with the resources we have. We try to listen. And when we say yes, we mean it. When we say no, we mean that too.
Thanks for staying with us. This work takes time. It’s not perfect. But it matters.
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