Statements
Mission
The mission of the Sumner Spay Neuter Alliance is to reduce shelter intake and euthanasia of dogs and cats by making high quality, high volume, low cost spay neuter services available to residents of our community.
Background
Sumner County has for many years had an Animal Control program that was less than adequate. The Animal Control program was housed in an old, extremely dilapidated building that was quite inaccessible to the public. Programs and policies needed updating. The euthanasia rate was about 90%. There was no effort to reduce this number or educate pet owners about responsible care or spay/neuter. In 2008, things began to change when the animal control contract was awarded to the Sumner County Sheriff's Department, forming the new Division of Animal Control. The county planned to build a new $1.2 million Animal Control Facility. A proposal was submitted by the Sumner Spay Neuter Alliance to both Sheriff, Bob Barker (deceased), and County Executive, Anthony Holt, concerning the importance of spay neuter in Sumner County in order to reduce both the number of animals being born to become homeless, and then relinquished to Animal Control. From the government shelter, most would not be placed in new homes, returned to owners or sent to rescue. They would be euthanized instead for population control. The proposal included provision for the low cost clinic to be part of the new Animal Control facility but be equipped and operated as a nonprofit entity by the SSNA. The proposal was graciously accepted and SSNA was put in touch with the architectural firm that was designing the animal control facility. Plans progressed from there and the spay neuter clinic opened within a small area of the Animal Control Shelter in July, 2011. Demand for spay/neuter service was overwhelming and could not be handled in a timely manner in the smaller building. SSNA moved to a larger facility and continues to work there to this day, increasing our spay/neuter surgeries on an annual basis. In 2019-10,317 animals were fixed. In addition, 8,424 rabies vaccines were given and 2,370 microchips were implanted either at the time of surgery or the annual SSNA Microchip clinic. We are very grateful to Sumner County who allowed us to get our start in the original building and very proud of our new home where we have greater capabilities.
Impact
Accomplishments: SSNA has spayed and neutered more than 90,000 animals since opening in July of 2011. This has resulted in a 68% reduction of animals coming into the county Animal Control facility and an 87% reduction in euthanasia. Our goal to spay and neuter at least 10,000 animals per year was achieved in 2016 and several years after. In 2020 and 2201, sadly Covid and its repercussions were in place. Both state orders and then sickness/quarantine required the clinic to close off and on. Currently we are facing staff sand veterinary shortages, just as every other clinic in Tennessee and the US. SSNA performed 8364 surgeries in 2020 and 6125 in 2021.
However, the news is still positive. If we use a modest estimate of 4 animal lives saved by each spay or neuter, surgery for 6-10,000 animals per year, 24000-40,000 animal lives have been saved each year through prevention. This is accomplishing our mission to reduce incoming animals and euthanasia at our government facility. These are animals that will not have their lives ended at the government shelter, or roam the streets hungry, injured, ill or suffering.
Approximately 1/3 of our clients are low income and cannot afford to pay for our services. Through funds from our Community Assistance Program, we are able to spay or neuter and offer wellness services at the time of surgery, to pets belonging to this population- for no charge. These are pets that would not otherwise be sterilized, but in all probability would reproduce, adding to the already overwhelming community problem of too many homeless pets.
about 2000 surgeries each year are performed on free roaming, neighborhood and community cats that live outdoors and would otherwise be producing litter after litter. Fixing these free roaming cats ends annoying mating behavior like spraying and howling in a neighborhood. There are no more unwanted litters to add to the problem and complaints to animal control usually cease. We recognize that cats, particularly breeding, free roaming cats, are the largest part of the unwanted, animal homelessness issue and the largest number of animals euthanized in a government shelter. Two cats to every one dog are euthanized. We rely on our Community Cat Fund to pay for these services. Currently we are offering free spay/neuter and other services, as needed, to Sumner County free roaming cats. SSNA has never turned away anyone for the inability to pay for services. We recognize that if we are to achieve our mission to reduce shelter intake and euthanasia, we must find a way to reach as many pet owners as we can with extremely discounted or free services, not just offer services to persons who can pay.
Word of mouth has been our biggest advertising media and has made our clinic services well known in the area. Our greatest number of animals come from Sumner County; Besides the general public, we also provide spay neuter services for about 25 animal rescue and sheltering organizations.
Needs
1. Funding for our Community Assistance and Cat programs. 2. Medical supply donations. 3. Volunteers and additional qualified staff to help at the spay neuter clinic. 4.Businesses /Corporations ad Volunteers to organize or help with Fund raising events. 5.Wish list items- paper towels, 55 gallon trash bags, liquid laundry detergent, and bleach . Donated items are just like cash because the funds that would have been used on supplies, can now be used to spay and neuter more animals.More spay/neuter saves more lives.
Board Chair Statement
A unique opportunity was presented to SSNA in the opening of our first clinic in 2011 in the government animal control facility. We are so pleased to have come so far by providing for thousands of animals and people needs in our community. Many times, the care and services we provide can make the difference of life or death for a cherished cat or dog. It keeps families together, as thousands of pet owners consider their animals family. We opened our new facility in 2014 which allows us room to spay and neuter 35-70 animals per day. We are challenged, however, to continue to raise funds to reach and cover the cost of surgeries for our low-income pet owning population. Being able to sterilize a great number of animals is making our program successful in reduction of the overall number of animals entering shelters and being euthanized for population control, in our county. Our current biggest challenge is still free roaming and feral cats. We strongly believe and participate in the Trap Neuter Return, Return to Field concepts. Because unwanted cats and kittens that end up in our government shelter are euthanized, we continue to establish programs that offer solutions. We currently offer free spay neuter for free roaming cats in Sumner County. As President and a founder of SSNA, 2021 marks the 50th year I have been in service to Animal Welfare. It is so amazing to see the great number of services that are offered in Sumner County for pets.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Animal Related - Veterinary Services |
| Secondary Category: | Animal Related - Alliances & Advocacy |
| Tertiary Category: | Animal Related - Animal Services NEC |
Areas Served
This organization primarily serves Sumner County. In addition to SSNA, 4 others, Rutherford and Davidson, Montgomery and Wilson have low cost spay neuter clinics.
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Macon |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Wilson |
| TN - Trousdale |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Montgomery |
