C-SNIP is celebrating the 75.000 pet to be spayed or neutered! Cover the celebration on 8/10/2011

C-SNIP is a non-profit, charitable organization, providing high quality, high volume, low cost spay/neuter surgery for dogs and cats whose caretakers cannot pay the fee at a full service veterinary clinic.

It's a sad fact that there are more dogs and cats born every day than there are homes to accept them. Pet sterilization is THE solution to a problem that drains communities both emotionally and financially. Until every dog and cat born is assured of a safe and caring home, this essential surgery must be available to everyone. C-SNIP is making that happen by providing pet owners with a spay/neuter clinic whose prices they can afford.

Learn more about C-SNIP on this website. If you believe in a proactive, humane solution to an age-old problem, would like more information, would like to help as a donor or volunteer, or would like to offer suggestions to our program, please email us at [email protected]  or call (616) 455-8220 extension 105.

In November 1998, a small group of West Michigan Animal Welfare activists met to address the need for a reduced-fee dog and cat sterilization clinic open to the public. They applauded the fact that Kent County has long encouraged sterilization by offering reduced license fees for sterilized dogs and that both the Kent County Animal Shelter and the Humane Society of Kent County required the sterilization of adopted shelter animals long before it became state law. Still, these two shelters are forced to kill many thousands of healthy dogs and cats each year because there are simply too many for the community to absorb.
Most animal control/welfare agencies spend the bulk of their budgets on capturing, accepting, sheltering, feeding, inoculating and adopting their animals and in euthanizing and disposing of the bodies of those unclaimed or unplaced. Nationwide, less than 5% of their budgets is spent on measures to prevent unwanted litters. Yet everyone can agree that preventive measures are essential to progressive animal welfare/control programs.

C-SNIP's founders set out to establish the area's only reduced-fee pet sterilization clinic and decided, for the convenience of its clients, to make it a mobile clinic. They shared their dream with neighborhood leaders, law enforcement personnel, government officials, animal control and rescue groups and officials for the Health Department. All agreed the need was there. C-SNIP researched established spay/neuter programs to determine what would work well in our area. They submitted grants to local and national foundations and received the funding necessary to put a substantial down payment on a fully equipped $100,000 mobile clinic accommodating 28 animals. Just two years after their initial meeting, they took delivery of the clinic.

The Board hired a veterinarian and two assistants who began sterilizing animals for the public in early March 2001.

The overwhelming response for our services, plus the surgery space in the mobile clinic did not allow us to accept large dogs for surgery, prompted C-SNIP to seek a permanent location.   In May of 2006, C-SNIP opened the doors of its Kentwood clinic.  The clinic, located at 1675 Viewpond was donated by a very generous benefactor. This permanent location has allowed C-SNIP to better serve the community and triple the number of daily sterilizations.

Currently, C-SNIP employees two veterinarians, four veterinarian technicians and/or assistants, 4 client service representatives performing up to 75 surgeries a day. 

C-SNIP is grateful to PETCO, ASPCA, PETSMART charities and teh BUILD-A-BEAR FOUNDATION and other local and national animal welfare foundations as well as local individuals and businesses for their financial commitment. Fees for service (which are reduced or waived when necessary) cover only a fraction of the funds needed to sustain our program. C-SNIP depends on individual donors, businesses, day sponsors, grantors and fundraiser for the balance.