Success Stories

Check out our spay/neuter graduates! View the gallery →

Jerene M. and Millie

Jerene, an 80-year-old widow on a fixed income was already caring for her grandson and a 15-year-old male dog when she learned of a family who decided that their Border Collie pup with a permanently dislocated hip was too active for their family and they no longer wanted her.

Jerene was worried what this sweet dog’s future might be, so she and her grandson persuaded the family to let them take her. But when the dog was nearing six months old, Jerene knew that she had to get her spayed right away or run the risk having an unwanted litter. However, she simply did not have the money to cover the cost of traditional spay services.

She turned to the WAG low cost spay/neuter clinic for help, and the staff referred her to SPOT for financial assistance that would defray costs even further. She was quickly approved for a SPOT spay voucher to be used at the WAG clinic. SPOT was so happy to bridge the financial gap between Jerene’s immediate available resources and the cost of spaying her rescued puppy. A happy ending for all!

Patti S. and Fritz

Patti was referred to us by a veterinarian who knew she was not able to afford traditional clinic costs for a neuter for Fritz, a rescued Border Collie. Her only income came from seasonal farm work she did on a farm that she and her 90 year old grandfather lived on, so finances were always very tight. When she contacted SPOT, her grandfather had just passed away and she was being forced to move off the farm with one month’s notice. “Fritz is my only family now, and I need to be sure he is the priority in my life.” I could not have gotten him neutered without SPOT’s help. I am now a one-woman billboard for SPOT’s amazing services for low income folks like me and I am so grateful for their generous assistance.”

Rebecca W. and Sable

Rebecca W. and her husband who is disabled and is rarely able to work, have two children, including one 3 year old with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. In spite of their dire financial situation, they rescued a skinny 9 week old female husky mix from a homeless person unable to care for it with the goal of training the dog to be a companion for their severely disabled child. They believed strongly in spay/neuter and were also required by their apartment contract to have her fixed. They researched social media to find a source to help them afford to have Sable spayed. “SPOT was a God send for us. We are so grateful she will have a happier, healthier life and can be an important part of our family.”

Kandi M. and Chloe and Tucker

Kandi. had searched for an affordable way to spay her female Chihuahua, Chloe, and was referred to SPOT by a friend who had used our services, when she unexpectedly rescued Tucker, a gentle 9 month old Pit Bull mix who had been badly abused (broken ribs, collapsed rectum, cuts and bruises all over his body). A friend stepped up to help her afford the surgeries he needed for his injuries, but she knew she also had to get both dogs fixed as soon as possible.

Kandi was in poor health herself, had been working part time and barely making it paycheck to paycheck to pay off monthly bills and student loans when she learned she also had a serious heart defect and would need to stop working altogether. SPOT was so happy to be able to help Kandi get both dogs fixed using vouchers from our $10 Pit Fix and general donation funds. All three are now doing well and providing the best therapy possible to each other!

Patti and Zyzzx

I really want to thank SPOT and the Willamette Animal Guild,for helping to ensure the good health of my little service dog, Zyzzx. At 4 years old, I hadn’t gotten him neutered because he only had one descended testicle. I knew that abdominal testicles could cause sterility and also become cancerous. However, every veterinarian I had spoken to for the last three years had given me a quote of over $1,000 dollars to fix him. They claimed that they would have to do exploratory abdominal surgery to find the other testicle, if there was one. And because he has seizures, they all said that he’d have to have special expensive medication while he was asleep. I am permanently disabled and live on a meager income so there was no way I could ever afford this important procedure for him.

With the voucher SPOT provided, and information from WAG’s vet, I learned that the regular anesthesia would be all he needed because it would keep him from having any problems from his seizures. Also, his other testicle was just under the skin in his tummy and could be easily felt. So, they made one small incision and easily removed the errant testicle! All those years, I was misinformed and my service dog’s health risked, just for the sake of money!!! Thank you for making it possible to keep my beloved little guy happy, healthy and working for me for many years to come.

Jillian S. and Gemma

Gemma, a 6 year old Golden Retriever accidentally became pregnant and developed a lethal form of gestational diabetes. Her owner, Jillian was desperate to save Gemma and her litter of four pups but was in dire straits financially. She borrowed over $2800 from friends and relatives to try to save them, but all but one of the pups died. In addition to daily insulin, Gemma desperately needed to be spayed to alleviate the same fate. Jillian contacted numerous veterinarians and specialists who either felt she was too high risk and/or wanted over $1000 to do the spay. Jillian was out of financial options at this point, but heard about SPOT and we worked with one of our wonderful clinics who researched her condition and records and said they would do it for a tiny fraction of the going rate. SPOT pitched in what was needed, and, happily, Gemma came through surgery with flying colors and she and her puppy are doing great!