RED BLUFF — Buster’s Paw Prints, a nonprofit, was awarded a $2,500 grant from the Animal Welfare Endowment Fund of the Community Foundation of the North State to spay owned dogs in the community of Rancho Tehama as part of the Spay Day Project.
President Nichole Bethurem said board members have volunteered at vaccine clinics in Rancho Tehama and one of the most requested services at these clinics is spay and neuter, as spay surgeries can cost over $300.
Knowing that financial and transportation barriers make it difficult for many residents to access existing spay and neuter services, the nonprofit decided to apply for the grant.
“We are in a unique position to have board members and volunteers willing to transport dogs for owners without transportation,” Bethurem said. “There is a nationwide crisis of pet overpopulation that we can not adopt and rescue our way out of; one of the most effective solutions is a targeted spay and neuter program.”
The nonprofit spayed its first dog, Phoebe, in December. They first met Phoebe in Rancho Tehama when she was pregnant in the fall.
“Phoebe’s puppies were surrendered to us after they were weaned and ultimately transferred to a rescue organization,” she said.
Buster’s Paw Prints has partnered with two veterinary clinics in Red Bluff to help with the spray program.
“We have budgeted for seven dogs, which may vary based on dog sizes and the number of litters a dog may have had,” Bethurem said. “We are applying for additional grants to expand the number of dogs we can spay in addition to our existing Spay Day Project funds.”
For those interested in this program, Buster’s Paw Prints can be contacted at https://www.busterspawprints.org/contact-us.
Bethurem started Buster’s Paw Prints in memory of her three-legged dog Buster Brown when she and others recognized unmet needs in the community through volunteer work.
“Buster’s Paw Prints is a nonprofit passionate about keeping dogs and their owners together, primarily focused on helping senior citizens, low-income families, and those experiencing homeless with access to pet food, spay and neuter, basic veterinary care and compassionate euthanasia,” Bethurem said.
