Our New Venture with MRFRS, SCFAW's New Partner!

 

Caring for Cats in Need in MetroWest and

Central Massachusetts

SCFAW and the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS) have joined ranks to  offer cat owners a mobile spay/neuter service in our area. Read our press release here.

We're in the process of merging our organizations. Click here for an update on our progress. 

The pet you love could also be famous!

 Enter the Spay Day World Photo Contest and
Support MRFRS and SCFAW! 

Enter your kitty’s photo and ask all your friends and family to vote for it online.

Each vote requires a $1 donation, and money raised will go to support our programs. So ask folks to donate $5 to cast 5 votes, or $10 to cast 10 votes for your kitty’s photo, or better yet $20 for 20 votes. The sky's the limit!

To enter your pet's photo in the contest and to vote, visit www.spaydayportal.humanesociety.org. Search pets by location for Massachusetts-Salisbury-Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society.

 

 

Announcing SCFAW's New Program Name:

Operation CatSNIP

To better reflect our focus on providing low cost spay/neuter services for felines in need, we've taken on the tag name "Operation CatSNIP"!  We're using the acronym SNIP for Spay/Neuter Is Prevention. The new name better reflects SCFAW’s mission of preventing the tragedy of cat overpopulation before it begins. And our low-cost spay/neuter clinics, formerly known as “Quick Fix Clinics,” are now called “CatSNIP Clinics”! Our organization's legal name remains Second Chance Fund for Animal Welfare, Inc. (SCFAW for short!).

Spay/neuter is the only foolproof method for accomplishing this compassionate objective. The one-time procedure also provides many other health and behavioral benefits, enabling more cats to stay where they belong – with their owners and caregivers – rather than exposed to the risks and misery of life on the streets.  

As a volunteer organization, we're grateful to the many animal lovers who gives so generously of their time and talents. You help make SCFAW a vital and growing organization. And we always welcome new volunteers -- now particularly for our Worcester CatSNIP Clinics.    

To learn how you can become a clinic volunteer or to help with our many other activities, please click on Volunteer at the top of this page. 

Why Spay or Neuter Your Cat?

It’s not just about kitten prevention anymore!  

 

Sadly, millions of cats and kittens are euthanized in the United States each year because there simply aren’t enough homes for all of them. As a pet owner or care-giver, you can do your part to reduce the number of homeless cats and kittens. You’ll also be helping our feline friends lead healthier and happier lives and while promoting a more enjoyable relationship between them and you.     

Read on to learn more.  

 

SCFAW exists through the donations of caring individuals and organizations. Without programs such as ours, the suffering of cat overpopulation and homelessness would be far more tragic, and the negative impact on our communities would be more serious.  

The fees we receive from participants of our CatSNIP Clinics cover only part of our expenses. Your financial donations subsidize these fees by helping us pay our veterinary partners, medical suppliers, and our small, part-time staff.

• $40 helps with the expense of one spay surgery
  

• $25 helps to pay for one neuter surgery

• $15 subsidizes rabies and distemper vaccinations for one cat

Your financial donations also help us to cover our community outreach expenses, including website maintenance, office supplies, telephone, postage, and other administrative costs.  

SCFAW is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, so donations are tax-deductible.  

In addition to providing the only fool-proof method of population control, studies have found that altering your cat may increase her lifespan an average of three to five years! 

Population control. Health benefits. Behavioral improvements. These are some of the many reasons to spay or neuter your cat today!

We're thrilled by these important developments, because they hold great promise for serving cats in need even more efficiently than ever before.  

 

"I'm Animal Friendly" License Plates

 

The Massachusetts "I'm Animal Friendly" license plate tells your community that you care about animals! This program is a cooperative arrangement between the Massachusetts Animal Coalition (MAC) and the MA Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV).

By purchasing this license plate, you will be contributing to a statewide spay/neuter funding program that directly benefits Massachusetts animals. SCFAW has been a recipient of funding through this program for several years.

Order your plate today!

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions About SCFAW

• Why should I spay or neuter my pet?

Every year, millions of unwanted animals are needlessly destroyed. As a caring pet owner, you can make a difference by doing your part to prevent the birth of unwanted kittens. In just five years, an unspayed cat can be responsible for 12,000 offspring! In addition, spaying or neutering will help your pet live a longer and happier life. Read more.

• What happens if I want to wait to have my cat spayed or neutered?

Don't delay having your kitten spayed or neutered. By six months of age, a female can go into heat and become pregnant.

• Is the time and expense of spay and neuter really worth it? 

Yes! SCFAW assists by providing affordable and accessible spay and neuter services. Keep in mind that this is a one-time expense that can dramatically improve your cat's quality of life. If you are still uncertain, consider the expense to society of caring for all the unwanted and abandoned animals in our shelters. Many have little chance of finding permanent homes.

• Won't my cat's behavior improve if she has a litter?   

Contrary to what some people believe, getting pregnant—even one time, does not improve a cat's behavior. In fact, the mating instinct may lead to undesirable behavior, which results in undue stress for both the owner and the animal.

• Where does the money come from to enable SCFAW to carry out its mission? 

SCFAW services, such as our affordabe spay and neuter CatSNIP Clinics, are paid by the pet owners and care-givers whose animals we treat. However, the fees charged do not cover the entire cost of the procedure. We rely on the generosity of our donors to make up the difference. Donors also fund our normal administrative operations. As a nonprofit, mostly volunteer-based organization, SCFAW works hard to minimize these expenses. A portion of our budget comes from grants and other sources.

Find answers to many pet-related questions in our extensive Resource Directory.