HAWS original Spay-Neuter Initiative Program clinic opened in 2001. Prior to opening, adopters were required to sign a contract to have their new pet spayed or neutered by their veterinarian. This system didn’t always work, and the problem of pet overpopulation was too great to not take action.
Back then, generous community donations allowed for HAWS to remodel existing shelter space into a suite with surgical and treatment tables along with a recovery room. But, the need continued to grow, and HAWS’ “SNIP” has grown as well, with two additional expansions! The clinic now has 4 surgical tables, additional procedure stations for things like dental cleanings, a large recovery area, exam room, xray room and separate lobby – allowing the SNIP team to conduct business safely away from the general shelter population and public visitors.
In 2005, the fully donation-supported program Project Guardian was created to assist with outdoor cats. A unique placement program, Seeking Sanctuary, has also been added to help “working” cats find places to live other than the traditional adoptive home. These programs are overseen by HAWS’ Community Cat Coordinator.
Services offered have grown from simply doing spays and neuters to include advanced diagnostics, dental cleanings with extractions, hernia repair, lump removal, amputations, bladder stone removal, cherry eye repair and wound repair. We are able to offer these to local breed rescue groups and also to the pets of low-income Waukesha County residents.
HAWS is excited to announce that we will soon also be able to offer various wellness visits to the general public, providing resources to pet owners in yet another way. Stay tuned!
