Last Hope receives generous donation from Petco Love

Great news! Last Hope Animal Rescue has received a $15,000 grant from Petco Love that will allow us to spay and neuter the dogs and cats of local owners in need at a very low cost.

About Petco Love: Petco Love is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to making change in animal welfare by using the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since its founding in 1999, Petco Love has invested $380 million in adoptions and other lifesaving efforts. And Petco Love, in partnership with Petco and more than 4,000 organizations like ours across North America, helps find loving homes for pets. 6.8 million pets have been adopted and the number is growing. Currently, Last Hope has cats available for adoption at Petco Wantagh and Petco Plainview.

“Our investment in Last Hope is part of a recently announced investment of over $15 million by Petco Love to support local organizations across the country. It is part of our commitment to a future where no pet is needlessly euthanized,” said Susanne Kogut, President of Petco Love. “Our local investments are just one part of our strategy to empower pet lovers to join us in driving life-saving change.”

Why neuter pets? Support for owners and caregivers in financial need: Since 2003, Last Hope has offered a low-cost feral cat spay/neuter program that is heavily utilized by the people of Long Island. This voucher program, called Fix-A-Feral, with a copayment of $15 per cat, has resulted in the spay/neuter and rabies vaccination of more than 12,000 feral cats over the past 21 years.

Founded in 1981, Last Hope is a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing abandoned and stray dogs and cats. “Unfortunately, the average cost of sterilizing dogs and cats has become prohibitive for many pet owners. The price increases with the weight and age of the dog. We receive several calls each week from pet owners asking for financial assistance for spaying and neutering. In addition, abandoned, friendly cats are not eligible for our feral cat vouchers. These cats have fallen through the cracks, so to speak. We consider it part of our mission to help the public sterilize these cats as well,” said Linda Stuurman, President of Last Hope.

Here’s how Last Hope’s spay and neuter program works: Firstly, the owner or carer requesting assistance must be assessed as having financial need. These rates would be offered to people who have a disability, are only on benefits or have been unemployed for at least six months.

We have four participating veterinary clinics. An eligible owner will receive a certificate with the veterinarian information to schedule their own appointment and pay $50 for a dog and $25 for a cat. The pet will receive a pre-op exam, spay/neuter, and a combination rabies and distemper vaccination. The owner will also receive $50 for pre-op blood work if needed for a pet over five years of age.

The pet owner is responsible for treating any illness discovered by the veterinarian during the examination.

The program will end on December 31, 2024, or earlier if Last Hope has exhausted all funds.

To apply for the spay/neuter program, go to the website homepage at www.lasthopeanimalrescue.org. There are red tabs at the top of the page. Click on the “Information” tab and the fourth option from the top is “Apply for Veterinary Assistance Program.”

Last Hope is grateful to Petco Love for their generosity. This grant will provide us with the resources needed to launch a pilot program so more people can afford to spay or neuter their pets or the friendly cats they find and take to heart. Current fees at veterinary clinics on Long Island are typically several hundred dollars to spay or neuter a dog or cat. The price increases based on the weight and age of the dog or cat.

The benefits of spaying or neutering a pet include curbing overpopulation, reducing the number of unwanted pets euthanized in animal shelters across the United States, preventing certain pet health problems such as mammary cancer, reproductive malignancies, and pyometra, and improving certain behavioral problems such as spraying or marking. Spaying or neutering keeps pets in their homes and saves lives.