BOZEMAN — February is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month, and Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter in Bozeman is highlighting the realities of unwanted litters and the benefits of pet sterilization.
In a given year, Heart of the Valley receives about 1,000 puppies and kittens from accidental litters, according to Animal Services Coordinator Alex Rinehart.
Beyond preventing unwanted pregnancies, spaying and neutering provides health benefits for animals, including less mess to clean up, fewer fights and less roaming behavior.
"We spay and neuter, vaccinate and microchip all of our animals that we adopt out," Rinehart said. "We do have a donation-based spay and neuter clinic, it's weekly, and it is by application, so we do about 18 cats, and then we do 5 dogs at each of these clinics."
Heart of the Valley also offers low-cost vaccines and microchips at the clinics.
The shelter's services aim to help pet owners manage the costs associated with responsible pet ownership while reducing the number of unwanted animals in the community.
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