Sonoma County offers free vet vouchers to low-income pet owners

More low-income residents will be able to get their pets spayed or neutered under a new voucher program under development by Sonoma County Animal Services.

The Love me, Fix Me Access Program will provide vouchers to qualifying low-income pet owners that can redeemed through a network of veterinarians for spaying and neutering as well as other vital services to keep pets healthy.

It is being modeled after a pilot mobile version of the program, funded by a grant from the Sonoma County Community Foundation, that ran from January 2013 to June of this year, according to a release issued by Scott Alonso, the communications coordinator for the county Animal Services.

The new access program will target specific populations with identified problems and needs. If funds are available, limited mobile spay services will continue to be provided to certain high-need areas.

The Sonoma County Animal Shelter reports that intake totals have declined from a high of 4,717 in 2012 to 2,970, a drop of 19 percent. In the past two years the number of pets licensed in Sonoma County has increased. Animal service officials attribute the succes to increased education and enforcement efforts and more compliance with rabies control requirements.

Sonoma County Animal Services covers the unincorporated areas of Sonoma County, the Town of Windsor and the city of Santa Rosa.

For more information visit Sonomacounty.ca.gov/Health-Services/.

You can reach Staff Writer Meg McConahey at meg.mcconahey@pressdemocrat.com or 521-5204. On Twitter @megmcconahey.