Spay'sTheWay

Spay’sTheWay is the Lexington Humane Society’s free and low-cost spay/neuter program for qualifying dog, cat, and bunny owners and feral/community cat caregivers. In just over 12 years, we’ve provided over 33,000 surgeries and decreased the local homeless dog and cat population by 50%!

Program Mission

To compassionately end pet overpopulation through education and accessible pet spaying and neutering.

Program Details

Having your pet spayed or neutered is one of the best things you can do to keep your pet happy and healthy. Learn more about the surgery and about the multiple benefits of spay/neuter, then book your appointment today!

All Spay’sTheWay surgeries are performed by appointment only and involve a morning drop off and late afternoon pick up the same day.  You may have a friend or family member assist with transporting a pet.

Dogs & Cats

  • Pet owners must be over 18 years of age to qualify.

  • We begin puppy and kitten surgeries at 3 months of age.  There are significant health benefits to having your puppy or kitten spayed/neutered before sexual maturity, or before 6 months of age—please don’t delay!

  • Financial assistance is based on household income and financial assets.  Depending on the level of assistance you qualify for, proof of income may be required.

  • Included at no additional cost with each surgery:

    • Rabies vaccination.

    • Fayette County pet license.

      • Rabies vaccination and license are the two legal requirements for owning a dog or cat in Fayette County.

    • Booster vaccination: DA2PP for canines and FVRCP for felines.

  • We recommend that your pet has had at least 1 round of core vaccinations prior to your surgery appointment, being taken into public areas, or coming into contact with other animals.

  • We offer an optional microchip for $15 on the day of surgery.  A microchip is permanent identification for your pet and the price includes national registration.

  • Cats must be brought in a secure carrier; dogs must be brought on a collar and leash or in a small crate (for small dogs only).

Rabbits

  • Rabbits must be 6 months of age for surgery.

  • Rabbits must be brought in a carrier.

  • Note: Rabbits are not eligible for rabies vaccination, city animal license, or microchipping services.

Feral Cats

If you have a feral or community cat on your property in need of surgery, contact Spay’sTheWay for assistance.  Community cats are altered through a process called trap-neuter-return, or TNR, which compassionately reduces the homeless cat population and saves lives.

  • Included at no additional cost with each low-cost TNR surgery:
    • Rabies vaccination
    • FVRCP vaccination
    • Parasite treatment
    • Surgical ear-tip (to indicate sterilization)

Special Initiatives

  • Free pit bull surgeries through Love-A-Bull:

    • Spay/neuter surgeries are free for all pit bull breed dogs living in Fayette County.  Proof of address is required.

    •  Includes pit bull mixed breeds.

  • Free “mom and dad” animal surgeries through Last Litter:

    • When a litter is signed over to Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control, the litter’s “mom and dad” animals are eligible for free spay/neuter surgeries.  “Mom and dad” animals must be owned by the same person signing over the litter. 

    • We ask that puppies and kittens be raised at home until 8 weeks of age before being signed over to Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control.

Contact Us

To see if you qualify:

Option 1: Call the Spay’sTheWay line at (859) 233-0044 Ext. 228 to complete an application over the phone.

  • Be prepared to leave a message with a daytime phone number.  A member of the Spay’sTheWay team will return your call to complete the application and schedule an appointment.  Please note: due to high call volume, it may take a week for you to receive a return call.  We appreciate your patience!

Option 2: Download a copy of the application to fill out at home (CLICK HERE).

  • Complete as much information as possible.  Please do not send in any photocopies of financial or personal information—if needed, we will verify this in person on the day of your appointment.

  • Mail your application to: 
    Lexington Humane Society 
    1600 Old Frankfort Pike 
    Lexington, KY 40504 
    Attention: Spay’sTheWay

  • After receiving your application, we will call you to verify the information and schedule an appointment.  Please allow at least a week after mailing the application before expecting a call-back.

Education

Spay’sTheWay works to educate pet owners on responsible pet ownership.  We coach program participants and others in the community to:

  • Spay/neuter all pets to save lives.

  • Make sure pets meet all legal requirements: license and vaccinate for rabies every 12 months with both license and rabies tags worn at all times.

  • Take pets to the vet for a check-up every year and vaccinate annually.

  • Feed nutritious food and provide fresh water every day.

  • Microchip pets—microchips are vital, permanent identification and have reunited countless lost pets with their worried owners.

If you have a class or group interested in learning more about spay/neuter and responsible pet ownership, please contact our Outreach Coordinator at (859) 233-0044 Ext. 254.

Make a Donation to this Program!

Click Here to make a donation to this great program!