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meowbox Visits the Spay Neuter Project LA

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During our recent visit to Los Angeles, the meowbox team had the pleasure of stopping by the Spay Neuter Project LA (SNPLA), a vet clinic and animal rescue organization located in Pico Rivera, San Pedro, and van Nuys. Being a Vancouver-based company, the opportunity to visit shelters in the US is hard to come by, so we jumped at the chance to learn more about the initiative—and, of course, donate some meowbox goodies to kitties in need.

When we arrived at the Pico Rivera location on Saturday afternoon, the lobby was packed with pet parents waiting to get their puppies and kittens spayed and neutered. After meeting the kittens for adoption in the waiting area, we were introduced to the rest of the shelter kittens by clinic manager Jessica Lopez, who told us more about this great project.

What makes SNPLA unique is that unlike many animal shelters, they also serve as a veterinary clinic. Founded in 2007, SNPLA’s mission is to provide affordable and accessible spay, neuter, and healthcare services to underserved pet owners in the Los Angeles area. According to the project’s website, these services have saved millions of cats and dogs from being born into homelessness.

Unlike areas such as Southern California, colder regions of the United States do not have kitten season, as cats do not spend as much time outside and are less likely to mate. As a result, Jessica explained, shelters in these areas have more vacant space during this period than shelters that are located in warmer states. To make room for more orphaned kittens, SNPLA will be sending many of their kitties to shelters up north, where forever homes will hopefully await them.

The problem of animal euthanization due to lack of shelter space is still far from solved, but spay and neuter advocacy projects like SNPLA are definitely helping. According to recent statistics provided by Los Angeles Animal Services, the number of euthanizations performed at Los Angeles shelters has decreased considerably since 2014.

So what can we, as devoted cat lovers, do to help? Besides fostering, adopting, and spaying or neutering our pets, we can also do what we can to support our local no-kill shelters and animal rescue groups. If you would like to volunteer or fundraise for SNPLA, please visit the “Get Involved” page on the project website.

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