Polk County Animal Control has the highest euthanasia ranking in the state but is diligently working to achieve a “No-Kill” status.
TLC PetSnip, Inc. in Lakeland is working with Polk County Animal Control to lower euthanasia rates and increase adoptions in the shelter by assisting with the spay/neuter of shelter animals and has provided over 2,000 surgeries since 2018 to shelter animals waiting for adoption. TLC PetSnip is also one of only a few Lakeland organizations that handle feral and community cats. They are Polk County’s only non-profit spay/neuter and wellness clinic and have provided affordable veterinary services to the residents of Polk County since 2013. TLC PetSnip is mentored by the national ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance and has provided nearly 50,000 spay/neuter surgeries as well as over 30,000 free or discounted services to financially restricted clients since opening their doors. TLC PetSnip, Inc. has been able to provide services through financial gifts from the community and grant opportunities from the Petco Foundation, PetSmart Charities, and Florida Animal Friend among others over the past 6 years.
TLC PetSnip is currently working with rescue groups and community members that are participating in Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (TNVR) efforts within Polk County. TNVR is the humane approach to addressing feral and community cats by trapping, sterilizing, vaccinating and returning cats to their outside lives. These cats are often seen as a nuisance because of their mating, marking and potential to be disease vectors. TNVR eliminates these concerns because the cats are sterilized and vaccinated before being released. TNVR works to reduce the population of feral and community cats by preventing unwanted litters from being born and subsequently enter the shelter environment. To date, TLC PetSnip, Inc. has sterilized over 4,000 feral and community cats as part of their TNVR program that began in 2017. All cats that are a part of this program are sterilized, vaccinated for rabies and receive an ear-tip (universally recognized symbol for a sterilized community cat) before they are returned outside.
TLC PetSnip is committed to serving the animals in Polk County by continuing to work with Polk County Animal Control and the community by making sterilization and vaccination services affordable for citizens and rescue partners.
People wanting to participate in TNVR in the community, at only $25 per cat, can call TLC PetSnip to learn more about this program. TLC PetSnip veterinarians, veterinary technicians and support staff have all received training in how to safely handle these often fearful felines to ensure that it is as stress-free as possible for the cat. Additional counseling services are available for anyone that needs assistance with maintaining a feral cat colony through Alley Cat Allies.
In 2019 over 8,500 cats entered Polk County Animal Control and only 1,273 were adopted and almost half of those adopted cats were spayed/neutered by TLC PetSnip. TNVR efforts and community involvement will prevent kittens and cats from entering the shelter where their chances for adoption are low.
If you are interested in becoming a TNVR partner in the community please contact TLC PetSnip, Inc. for more details.