FAQ

How are you able to offer surgery at such low prices?  

We are a specialized clinic focused on spay/neuter surgeries. You need a doctor who specializes in ailments of the heart? You see a cardiologist. Having trouble with your kidneys? See a urologist. Need your animal spayed or neutered? SEE US! We do NOT skimp on surgical instruments or equipment. We do NOT skimp on pre-op/post-op drugs. We do NOT skimp on surgery itself or pre-op/post-op care. “Low-cost" in our case does not equal "low-quality." We keep our prices low by keeping our practice simple. We do not do check-ups or blood work or other tests that would require us to purchase more equipment and supplies and hire additional staff. We've made the choice to specialize in spay/neuter surgeries to try and help the community. We know that this will limit our ability to handle every situation but we also recognize those situations are better served by the many quality full-service veterinarians in our community. We think it's very important for clients and their animals to have a relationship with a regular veterinarian to cover all the other medical issues an animal may run into during their lives.

How old must my cat or dog be before it can get spayed/neutered?

Cats must be at least 3 months old or - if age is unknown - 3 pounds. Dogs must be at least 6 months old.

Are there any residency or income requirements to use your services?

No, it does not matter where you live or how much (or little) money you make; our high quality, low cost services are available to EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE. Note that our subsidy program may have income or residency restrictions.
 

Do you offer any assistance with the cost?

Yes, we offer assistance through our subsidy programs for those whose household income falls at or below the federal poverty level. We also offer assistance to active duty or retired military service personnel. Please see our Subsidy Info page for details.

Do you spay/neuter feral cats?

Yes. If they are truly feral, you may trap them and bring them to the clinic in the trap. You will need to make an appointment before trapping them, and then try trapping them the night before the appointment. If you are unable to capture them that night, simply call the clinic ASAP to let us know you were not able to capture them. We’ll reschedule you to try trapping another night.

How do I get to your clinic?

We are located at 12510 Naves Cross Rd NE, Cumberland MD 21502 in Failinger’s Complex just east of the Bedford Road Sheetz. From points east of Cumberland, take 68W to exit 46 for Naves Cross Road; drive 0.2 miles and turn left onto MD 144/Naves Cross Rd NE; drive 0.23 miles and our plaza is on your left (just before Advance Auto Parts). From Cumberland and points west, take 68E to exit 46 for US 220N to Bedford; drive 0.08 mi and merge right onto Ali Ghan Rd NE/MD 144 toward Naves Cross Rd; drive 0.29 miles and turn right onto Christie Rd NE/MD 144; drive 0.12 miles and turn left onto MD 144/Naves Cross Rd NE; drive 0.34 miles and our plaza is on your left (just before Advance Auto Parts).

Do you provide any other services besides spay/neuter?

We provide rabies vaccines at special community clinics as well as by appointment at our clinic. If your pet does not have a current rabies vaccine at the time of surgery, we will provide one at no additional charge. We also offer microchipping at the time of surgery, during our community rabies clinics and by appointment at our clinic. In order to keep our prices low, we do not offer other services. 

How old must my cat or dog be before it can get its rabies vaccine?

We provide rabies vaccines to cats as young as 3 months/as small as 3 pounds, and dogs as young as 4 months. Maryland state law requires all dogs and cats 4 months of age or older have a current rabies vaccine. 

How often does my dog/cat need a rabies vaccine?

The initial rabies vaccine is good for ONE YEAR. If you get your dog or cat a booster within 30 days of the previous vaccine expiring, the booster is good for THREE YEARS. Any time your dog or cat’s vaccine lapses beyond 30 days, you must start over with a one year vaccine. 

How does microchipping work?

The microchip is the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the skin between the animal’s shoulder blades using a hypodermic needle. The chip is encoded with a one-of-a-kind number that will be registered at Found Animal Registry at no additional cost to you (and there is no annual fee). Once a lost pet arrives at an animal shelter or veterinary clinic, a handheld scanner is used to read the unique number on the implanted microchip and the owner is identified and contacted immediately. The implementation procedure takes only a few seconds and is relatively painless to the animal. It is no more painful than a typical injection. A microchip is NOT a tracking device or a GPS transmitting device. Animals with microchips CANNOT be tracked or monitored from a remote location. The primary reason for microchipping your animal is to improve the chance that you’ll get your animal back if it becomes lost or stolen.

How can I help?

There are many ways to help! You can donate money, supplies or time. See our How Can I Help page for details.