Hot Spay/Neuter Summer? PETA Says It Was!

Published by PETA Staff.
5 min read

With leaves and temperatures falling in the mid-Atlantic region, it’s official: Autumn is in full swing! That means PETA’s staff and volunteers are now helping dogs like Mouth prepare for the cold nights and windy days ahead, making sure they have food, water, and shelter that will protect them from the elements.

A PETA worker offers a hand to a small dog, displaying fear and hiding in the corner of their fenced enclosure.

Here’s what our fieldworkers accomplished during the sweltering months of July, August, and September.

PETA’s Spay/Neuter Clinic Kept Companion Animals Off the Streets

SweetPea with guardian

Our mobile spay/neuter clinic veterinarians sterilized 2,618 companion animals, including Sweet Pea and Missy, who were among the 193 animals PETA’s Community Animal Project fieldworkers transported for free to and from their no-cost spay/neuter appointments. We also amputated the mangled tip of Lucky’s tail during his neuter surgery at no cost to his guardian, who was unable to afford treatment. He is recovering well at home with his grateful family.

A person holding a small dog next to the PETA mobile clinic bus.

In collaboration with the local animal control department in rural Gloucester County, our veterinary staff sterilized 64 animals in one day—at no or very low cost to their guardians.

Informing Our Local Community and Helping Those Far Away

A young child smiling and holding a book called "JJ the American Street Dog".

Through our Barks & Books program, we continued to distribute children’s books with animal-friendly themes to kids we met in the field and at our spay/neuter clinics.

We partnered with the Humane Society of Puerto Rico to host a spay/neuter event for underserved communities near San Juan, sterilizing and vaccinating nearly 200 animals in just two days. We also handed out hundreds of coloring books, stickers, and other educational materials.

A PETA veterinary surgeon in an operating room, performing a procedure on an anesthetized dog.

PETA Found Animals Homes

We transferred 136 companion animals to our shelter partners for adoption.

A dog standing in a grassy field with a PETA plywood doghouse in back.

A PETA worker in the passenger seat of a car, wet with rain, drying and cradling a puppy in a towel.

We secured the relinquishment of chained dog Baby and tiny puppy Bryce from separate properties and transferred them to the Chesapeake Humane Society, where they were both quickly adopted.

PETA staff secured the relinquishment of puppies Mississippi and Sheba and transferred them to the Norfolk SPCA for a chance at adoption. We also secured custody of Rhino and transferred him to the Virginia Beach SPCA for a chance at adoption.

PETA often subsidizes the cost of veterinary care when we transfer animals to our placement partner shelters.

We Helped People Keep and Care for Their Animal Companions

A PETA worker hugging a pit-bull type dog in front of a fence.

One of the 613 requests for assistance that we received was for Daisy, who had extensive open wounds from being hit by a car. She was already spayed, but staff on our mobile clinics treated her free of charge. We still visit her and will continue to provide in-home wound care as she recovers. This summer, we assisted hundreds of families like hers in keeping their animal companions.

A person sitting in a sand lot in a large grassy yard with a dog excitedly propping hand on their shoulder. both are looking at viewer and smiling.We helped protect “outside dogs” like Sandy—kept chained or penned outdoors 24/7—from the record-breaking heat by ensuring that they had access to shade and fresh water. We also made sure they had shelter, food, and treatment for parasites, and we replaced short, heavy chains with 15-foot lightweight tie-outs.

This summer, we delivered custom-built, insulated doghouses to 31 dogs kept outdoors day and night in all weather extremes.

After we spayed Bella—who had been kept outside with a three-sided structure that provided little if any protection from the elements—we provided her with a custom-made wooden doghouse.

PETA Helped End Their Suffering

Handwritten note reading: We so appreciated the care and compassion shown to us and our beloved cat. It was such a peaceful and affordable way to end our pet's suffering.
Handwritten note reading: I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to PETA for providing a much needed service for those of us that are not able to afford the rising cost of euthanasia. PETA is an essential piece of the puzzle— thank you.

When the health of elderly cat Socks deteriorated and she lost her sight and stopped grooming herself, her guardian brought her to PETA’s shelter for free end-of-life services. She was among the 173 animals we euthanized this season at no cost to families who couldn’t afford this vital humane service. Their guardians filled out postcards asking their state legislators to safeguard our ability to offer end-of-life relief. This summer, 683 of our constituent families sent postcards to their elected officials in support of our services, including compassionate euthanasia.

A small dog on a blanket.

We provided senior dog Laddie with free end-of-life assistance, as requested by her family after she had become blind, deaf, and immobile.

Among the animals we euthanized were 373 free-roaming cats suffering from conditions that included a degloved tail, a severed tail, wounds teeming with maggots, necrotic wounds, injured and ruptured eyeballs, emaciation, advanced upper respiratory infections, stomatitis, panleukopenia, immunodeficiency, infections, internal and external parasites, ringworm, vision impairment, traumatic injuries, broken bones, pododermatitis, ataxia, immobility, paralysis, suspected poisoning, and significant neurological symptoms potentially indicative of a rabies infection.

A dog laying on concrete, with a human hand petting their head. The concrete underneath the dog is wet.

At his family’s request, we provided a peaceful exit for Dakota, a senior dog in severe pain who’d become immobile and incontinent. He was among the 843 animals we euthanized this summer.

Adoptions From Our Shelter

A small dog on a beanbag chair with plushies.
Two young goats, in a fenced enclosure with a person in a PETA shirt crouching in background.
a cat clutching a kick toy, looking at viewer. one of their eyes has cataracts.
A small pig, eyes closed, snuggling up to a human chin and breast

This quarter, PETA found homes for Penny, Abbott and Costello, Helen, and Joy, among many others.

Help End Animal Homelessness in Your Community!

Spaying or neutering companion animals prevents pregnancies. It’s the best thing you can do to help in the face of staggering animal homelessness, and the procedures are available for free or at reduced cost in many places.

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