Low-Cost Spay & Neuter in Alabama
All of Alabama in One PDF
Download Spay Neuter Resources in Alabama (PDF) for a list of low-cost sterilization programs throughout the state.
Details about each program are available on our county pages. Find your county at Animal Services in Your County — then scroll down to Low-Cost Spay & Neuter.
Nonprofit Spay & Neuter Clinics
Seven Alabama clinics specialize in low-cost spay and neuter, a critical service for the state’s shelters and impoundment facilities, rescue organizations, TNR groups, and pet owners. Clinic vets are specialists at dog and cat sterilization, performing thousands of surgeries every year at prices that are affordable to most residents.
Huntsville
North Alabama Spay & Neuter Clinic
Birmingham
Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic
Walker Co.
The Ruff Fix
Montgomery
Alabama Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic
Dothan
Wiregrass Spay/Neuter Alliance
Foley
Safe Harbor Animal Coalition
Northport
Compassion Pet Care
Mobile
Save a Stray
Safe Harbor (Foley) serves low-income residents, shelters, and rescues, while the other clinics are open to all, regardless of income or place of residence.
Assistance Programs
- Ask local shelter(s) or rescues for financial help, transportation, or other assistance. Shelter staff and rescuers are especially appreciative of responsible pet owners and want to do everything possible to help you help your pet.
- Contact local vets or check their Facebook pages to find out about promotions and programs.
- Sterilization costs at nonprofit clinics as well as at vet offices and animal hospitals can sometimes be discounted through certificates and assistance programs.
- Explain your situation to Peggy Cropp at 205-243-9946 (texts only) to be considered for help from Friends of Cats & Dogs Foundation.
- Consider the ALVMF license plate program, if you are a Medicaid recipient — after reading our concerns.
Don’t let money get in the way of a spay. Ask for the help you need.
License Plate Program (ALVMF)
Alabama’s ALVMF license plate program is a state-run spay and neuter assistance program funded by drivers who donate $50/year for the “specialty” spay-neuter tag, $35 of which is earmarked for vets. We include this program in our listings, along with our concerns:
- A long waiting list means that extra precautions must be taken to avoid pregnancy.
- Most or all nonprofit clinics require that animals receive only the state-mandated rabies vaccination, if proof of a current vaccination is not available. The ALVMF program may add $40–100 in extra required fees, in our understanding. This surprise surcharge elevates costs for what is advertised as an assistance program “to help low-income families with costs.”
- Most counties have no participating vet. Each participating vet (even in the same facility) must pay a fee to ALVMF to be part of the program.
If you would still like to participate:
- The program is available to Medicaid recipients.
- The co-pay is $10 per cat or $20 per dog. Vets who deem your pet to be in need of vaccines and parasite treatments may charge you for those treatments as a prerequisite for sterilization, as described above.
- Select a vet and mention ALVMF when scheduling. Keep pets separated while waiting for your approval and appointment.
- The program limit is two animals per household per year.
Should the state wish to improve its program, Florida sets a solid example. The Florida Animal Friend (FAF) program raises a couple million dollars per year and is governed by a board who determines where funds may have the greatest impact.
Sterilization Tips
Schedule early! Surgeries are in high demand. Your pet can be sterilized when he or she reaches a minimum weight of 2 to 3 lb, depending on the provider. Alabama Spay Neuter vet Dr. Margaret Ferrell offers this guidance:
- Cats: “Cats should be spayed or neutered by 5 months of age, ideally before the first heat cycle. Females can become pregnant as early as 4 months, and early sterilization nearly eliminates the risk of mammary cancer and unwanted behavioral symptoms.”
- Dogs: “For dogs, timing depends on breed and size. Small breeds under 45 pounds can safely be sterilized around 4 to 6 months. Large breeds benefit from waiting until growth plates close, often between 9 and 15 months, to lower the risk of joint issues like hip dysplasia or cruciate tears. Research shows early neutering may slightly increase cancer risk in some breeds, while delaying surgery can support joint health. Waiting has drawbacks. Larger dogs tend to have longer, more complicated surgeries and a higher risk of post-operative issues like scrotal hematomas. Spaying after the first heat significantly increases a dog’s risk of mammary cancer. Puppies under 6 months typically have smaller incisions and faster recoveries.”
Don’t wait til your animal has a litter. ‘Spay delay’ is a major cause of shelter overpopulation, among other disadvantages to your pet and the community. If a female cat or dog is four months or older and has not yet been spayed, keep her indoors and separated from males.
If your pet is current on the rabies vaccination, bring the certificate. Without one, the vet or clinic may require a rabies vaccination in accordance with Alabama law.
Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR)
Trap, neuter, return (TNR) is the only effective and humane method of stabilizing populations of feral and friendly community cats. Healthy adult cats are sterilized, vaccinated against rabies, ear-tipped, and returned to the location at which they were found. The cats’ good condition is evidence that they already have food and shelter and are likely to continue thriving; and sterilization is healthy, reduces undesirable behaviors like yowling and fighting, and of course, ends reproduction.
Catch and kill approaches do not work because of what is called the vacuum effect, in which more kittens are born and more cats move in to take advantage of the food available in a community. Catch and kill is cruel, ineffective, and a waste of tax dollars.
TNR stabilizes cat populations by preventing new kittens from being born, saving tax dollars and lives. For a thorough explanation of TNR, see Alley Cat Allies’ guide, and this keynote address by Dr. Kate Hurley is worth watching in its entirety.
- Free spay& neuter for community cats is available from Animal Shelter Veterinarians (ASV), also referred to as GBHS Spay/Neuter & Critical Care Clinic. Call 205-898-7812 or 205-982-6801. The clinic is located at 5220 Princeton Way in Hoover. Check your county’s page for possibilities in your area.
- Get help with costs! Your local shelter or rescue organizations may be able to help cover expenses.
- Humane traps can be typically borrowed from shelters, ACOs, rescues, or community cat organizations, or purchased from Tractor Supply and similar stores. Alley Cat Allies provides recommendations and guidance on traps.
If you need assistance with trapping, transport, or expenses, please ask your neighbors, request help on Facebook local groups, or call your shelter. With TNR, cats can live healthy lives in your community.
