"Precious, Not Parents"

They may be just babies, but kittens as young as 4 months and puppies as young as 5 months are old enough to get pregnant and have their first litter just two months later. “These precious babies shouldn’t be parents at 5 and 6 months old,” says Jill Henderson, Development and Community Outreach Coordinator for the Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley. That’s why the HSSBV with funding provided by PetSmart Charities, the largest funder of animal welfare efforts in North America, is introducing the “Precious, Not Parents” campaign. Through the “Precious, Not Parents,” campaign, the HSSBV will provide $20 spay and neuter surgeries for puppies and kittens under six months of age during the month of June. Some pet parents may worry that their pet is too young for this procedure, but spaying and neutering is safe and easy for kittens and puppies as young as eight to 10 weeks old, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. “Many owners put off the procedure and wait until the puppy or kitten is six to eight months old,” says Henderson. “But by then, a litter of puppies or kittens can be born.” This special $20 rate is even less than the organization’s normal low-cost priced and is available to all residents of the Inland Empire. Pet parents who wish to take advantage of this offer must mention the “Precious, Not Parents” campaign when they call to schedule their appointment. The campaign is based on availability. The HSSBV will provide 120 “Precious, Not Parents,” sterilizations for $20 in June. Please visit www.hssbv.org or call 909-386-1400 for more information or to schedule an appointment. PetSmart Charities’ “Precious, Not Parents” campaign provides more than $677,339 to spay/neuter clinics to fund affordable, high-quality spay and neuter surgeries for more than 16,864 puppies and kittens across the nation during the month of June.