Press Room

Contact:
Rich Avanzino
President, Maddie's Fund^®
(510) 337-8979

Elbert C. Hutchins, EdD, CAE
Executive Director, Texas Veterinary Medical Association
(512) 452-4224

MADDIE'S FUND AND THE TEXAS VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION DISCONTINUE SPAY/NEUTER PROGRAM

(Alameda, CA - June 2003). The Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) and Maddie's Fund will discontinue Maddie's^® Spay/Neuter Project in Texas as of July 31st, 2003, just short of the twelve month benchmark.

Administered by TVMA and funded by the Maddie's Fund Foundation, Maddie's^® Spay/Neuter Project in Texas provides discounted spay/neuter surgery for pets of low-income Texas residents living in qualified counties.

Counties qualified for the program by submitting statistics from local animal control and traditional shelters so that TVMA and Maddie's Fund could measure the impact of the spay/neuter program on animal shelter populations. Community wide statistics were also required to help animal welfare organizations begin the process of collaboration formation, another goal of Maddie's^® Spay/Neuter Project. 51 out of 254 Texas counties initially qualified for the program.

"TVMA dedicated some of its most talented people to Maddie's^® Spay/Neuter Project and our staff came up with some extremely creative ideas to make it work," said TVMA Executive Director Elbert C. Hutchins. "The program just didn't generate the necessary interest and support in enough communities to make it the success we were all looking for."

"TVMA has brought tremendous leadership and professionalism to this project," said Maddie's Fund President Rich Avanzino. "Dr. Hutchins and his team have done everything possible to create a positive outcome. So have the participating veterinarians who worked so hard to get the surgeries done for low-income pet owners. We have simply come to the conclusion that this particular model is not a good fit for either TVMA or Maddie's Fund."

Although the overall number of spay/neuter surgeries has been disappointing, the project has brought about some significant accomplishments:

• A tremendous increase in collaboration formation. 38 community collaborations have formed over the past nine months. Many are in the process of submitting a preliminary application for a Maddie's Fund grant. Collaborations that ultimately receive funding will be able to restart the low-cost spay/neuter program through their local veterinary medical associations.

• A tremendous number of surgeries have been performed in some communities. In Abilene, for example, 1,002 dogs and cats were spayed and neutered in just the first eight months.