The CHA Animal Shelter will open its low-cost spay/neuter cat clinic to the public for the first time Dec. 12. The shelter at 3765 Corporate Drive added the $10,000 spay/neuter clinic last year to service pets that were put up for adoption at the shelter. It was funded through grants and donations from local veterinarians.

Shelter manager Stephanie Wimbish said the goal in opening the clinic to the public is to provide services to pet owners who understand the importance of spaying or neutering their pets but are unable to bear the costs at a typical veterinary hospital.

Making sure that animals are spayed or neutered plays an important role in reducing the number of homeless animals in the community, Wimbish said.

"The whole problem is overpopulation, especially with cats," she said.

Cats who are spayed or neutered are more likely to avoid diseases and less likely to get into fights, run away or have accidents in the house, Wimbish said.

The shelter's clinic will charge $55 to neuter a male cat or $70 to spay a female cat. The cost includes pain medication and a rabies vaccination.

Wimbish said the price paid by pet owners will cover the cost of the operation only. If any money would be left over, she said, it would go toward the shelter's programs.

The shelter will begin its spay/neuter program by offering clinic for cats four times a month. Appointments are required.

Wimbish said the shelter may choose to do offer clinics more frequently depending on demand, which she said she anticipates will be high.

"We get requests all the time, but just until recently, we've had to say no," she said.

Wimbish said the shelter would like to offer spaying and neutering for dogs, but space restrictions stand in the way.

"We're sort of limited in the building, so we would be talking about an expansion of the building," Wimbish said.

She said the shelter may look to add the service for dogs as well, but that would be years away.

During the clinics, the shelter also will offer vaccines, microchip implantation, flea and ear mite treatments, and testing for feline leukemia and the feline immunodeficiency virus.