Why Does CACF Emphasize Spay and Neuter?

The Companion Animal Clinic Foundation (CACF) emphasizes spay and neuter because sterilization surgery is, in its stated view, the most effective and humane way to keep unwanted pets out of animal shelters. Since 2005, the organization has worked to reduce unwanted litters and eliminate the euthanasia of abandoned dogs and cats in central North Carolina by enabling affordable spay and neuter surgeries at the Sandhills Spay Neuter Veterinary Clinic. Its page notes that over 100,000 animals have been spayed and neutered through this effort.

The problem CACF is responding to

CACF frames spay and neuter as a response to a measurable shelter crisis in North Carolina:

• The state ranks third in the euthanasia of unwanted dogs and cats, behind California and Texas.
• Over 100,000 dogs and cats entered North Carolina animal shelters in 2021.
• Of those, 30,000 were euthanized.
• Many of the animals were strays at large.

These figures are the reason the organization treats sterilization as the central lever for reducing both shelter intake and euthanasia, rather than one option among many.

How CACF approaches the solution

Rather than operating as a general veterinary practice, CACF works by enabling affordable spay and neuter surgeries through the Sandhills Spay Neuter Veterinary Clinic (SNVC). The logic is straightforward: cost is a common barrier to sterilization, so lowering that barrier should reduce the number of unwanted litters that end up in shelters.

The organization also points to a public-cost dimension — it states that keeping thousands of unwanted animals out of North Carolina shelters saves taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

What this means if you are deciding whether to spay or neuter

If you are in central North Carolina and the cost of the procedure is the main obstacle, CACF's model is designed for exactly that situation: it supports affordable surgery at SNVC rather than asking owners to pay full private-practice prices. The organization's stated goal is to prevent unwanted litters, reduce euthanasia, and keep pets healthy and in loving homes across 13 North Carolina counties.

If you want to act on this, the site points to three concrete paths:

• Book or learn about surgery — visit the Sandhills Spay Neuter Veterinary Clinic website for how SNVC offers affordable spay and neuter surgeries.
• Support the mission — donate to help fund affordable surgeries.
• Get involved — check the events page for ways to help reduce the number of unwanted pets facing euthanasia.

For questions about donations, volunteering, or partnering, CACF directs visitors to its contact page.