Press Room

Athens Area Humane Society Hosts Multi-County Community Cat Spay/Neuter/Vaccine Event  

ATHENS, GA: The Athens Area Humane Society will host a community cat “Snip-n’-Tip” event to help control community cat populations and promote public health. AAHS will perform free spay and neuter surgeries on over 200 community cats, over two surgery days, promoting healthier cats and a safer environment for residents in nine northeast Georgia counties. The event is funded through generous grants from Fix Georgia Pets, Georgia Pet Foundation, and the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation. Bissell Pet Foundation’s “Fix the Future” program is funding contract veterinarians.

“Community cats” are unowned cats that live in the community, rather than in a household, often fed by a caretaker but sometimes living fully independently. Spaying and neutering are essential in managing community cat populations humanely, reducing suffering, and preventing the spread of disease without euthanasia. Fix Georgia Pets has organized its partners and volunteers to provide support for trapping, in-shelter care, and return-to-field release.

“The Snip-n’-Tip event is a part of a trap-neuter-vaccinate-return strategy, where healthy free-roaming cats are sterilized, ear-tipped for identification, and vaccinated. After recovery, they are returned to the spot where they were already accessing food and shelter. TNVR increases the welfare of community cats, halts reproduction, and lessens nuisance behaviors,” said Dr. Cheryl McCormick, CEO of the Athens Area Humane Society. “In addition to spaying and neutering, vaccinating community cats helps prevent the spread of diseases like rabies between wildlife, feral colonies, and domestic animals, ultimately protecting our pets and our community.”

The Snip-n’-Tip event is part of AAHS’s commitment to humane population control and promoting community health. By vaccinating and spaying/neutering these cats, residents can expect fewer nuisance behaviors, less spread of diseases such as rabies and feline leukemia, and a reduction in the number of cats suffering from untreated health issues.

“We are excited to bring our ‘pawtners’ together to do the FIRST large-scale TNVR event in Georgia,” said Tricia Holder, CEO of Fix Georgia Pets. “We prove time and time again that we are stronger together, fixing Georgia’s dogs and cats.”

About the Athens Area Humane Society: AAHS is a private, community-supported nonprofit organization where the indelible bond between people and animals is celebrated. Founded in 1899, AAHS helps more than 13,000 animals and pet families annually through adoptions, clinic services, free vaccine events, pet transport, free pet food pantry, and humane education programs. For more information on how to get involved, visit: www.athenshumanesociety.org.

About Fix Georgia Pets: Fix Georgia Pets is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide spay/neuter grants for low-cost or no-cost spay/neuter programs to other nonprofit organizations throughout Georgia to help end the overpopulation epidemic and the senseless euthanasia of companion animals. For more information on how to get involved, visit: www.fixgeorgiapets.org.

Media Contacts:

Kelsey Fredriksen
Athens Area Humane Society
Marketing and Communications Manager
(404) 308-6676
kelsey@athenshumanesociety.org

Stephanie Neimiller
Fix Georgia Pets
Marketing Director
(678) 429-7151
stephanie@fixgeorgiapets.org