Last year, shelter animal intake was 16.3 animals per 1,000 residents in Florida - that’s nearly 25,000 homeless, injured, or abandoned animals entering shelters each month. Free-roaming/stray cats and dogs comprised more than half of all of those intakes.

In an effort to reduce these numbers in 2022, Clay Humane provided clinical care support to area shelters and neighboring communities. In the last year, we increased our regional impact with several programs directed at underserved and underfunded groups in our area.  These programs included shelter dog spay and neuter support for Putnam County Animal Control, a collaborative cat sterilization day with “Fix Them All” serving Clay and Baker County cat owners, a TNVR program with Clay County Animal Services each Tuesday, and a 12-month spay and neuter initiative funded by Florida Animal Friend.  

Through these efforts, we have provided sterilizations for 2174 feral colony cats plus 414 owned cats, 577 Animal Services sponsored feral cats, 161 bully breed dogs, and 24 Putnam County shelter dogs, and provided microchips and vaccinations to a significant portion of those.  

“When planning the spay and neuter programs, we looked at gaps across the area and discussed how we can be a consistent, valuable resource to the North Florida community,” said Executive Director, Linda Welzant. “Our animal welfare partners, who often operate on budgets significantly less than they need, are confined to what they are able to afford. We wanted to bring them services that can be directed to where the need is greatest.”

Clay Humane has always searched for opportunities to assist other organizations in our shared mission of ending shelter overcrowding.  By recognizing community needs and working together to meet them, we are enabling a resource that is not bound by organization nor geography, but rather by a common goal.  

Thank you to Florida Animal Friend, Inc, Fix Them All, Clay County Animal Services, Putnam County Animal Control and all of the volunteers who help support these programs.

Learn more about ways to support the Clay Humane animal welfare programs.