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Clinic provides spay, neuter services at discounted price

Published 
Ty Brennan's Reports
FOX 10 Phoenix

PHOENIX (FOX 10) - Being a pet owner comes with a lot of responsibility. That includes getting your dog or cat spayed or neutered - but that additional cost can be difficult for some families, and that's why one Valley business is trying to help out.

Nellie Goetz is the executive director of Altered Tails, a clinic that specializes in spay and neuter surgeries - but at a discount.

"There's a huge need in Phoenix [for this]," Goetz said. "You bring your animal here and you're going to get the same level of care [you get] at a full-service vet clinic, but at a significantly reduced price."

What started as a mobile clinic going into underprivileged neighborhoods became an actual clinic in 2009. Now with two locations, they provide surgeries for pet owners, pet rescue organizations, and trap neuter for free-roaming cats.

"We typically do 11,000 surgeries a year, which is pretty unbelievable," Goetz said. "When you think about a full-time practitioner or a veterinarian practitioner, [they probably perform] about 500 a year."

Those with Altered Tails say they're glad to help out and keep the unwanted pet population down, therefore helping to keep animals out of shelters.

"For people who can't afford [to spay or neuter], they need to have an alternative," Goetz said. "They need to have a safe, affordable alternative for their pets, and that's why we provide for people."