The little dog and cat riding around on the backs of Arizona vehicles have been doing more than looking cute.
In Mesa, they helped send 23 dogs and 10 cats to surgery.
Money generated through Arizona’s pet-friendly specialty license plates provided a $5,000 grant the city used to pay for spay and neuter procedures for pets belonging to Mesa residents.
The city partnered with Dr. Kelly’s Surgical Unit, which discounted its prices to make the money reach as many animals as possible.
The result was 33 surgeries from May through August — and a waiting demand that outlasted the money.
“I did have a few applications that I was unable to put through just because of the funds,” Mesa Animal Control Specialist Diana Ibarra said. “We had depleted them. So the need for these services are there.”
Mesa sought $10,000 through the grant program last year but received $5,000. While shelters and animal rescues also can apply for the money, Mesa made a different choice: It would use its grant to help animals already living in residents’ homes.
“We elected to do it for owned animals, essentially for public use,” Ibarra said.
The city created an online application and targeted its outreach toward lower-income areas of Mesa. Applicants had to be city residents and were asked to report their income, although Mesa did not require them to provide documentation verifying it.
Ibarra also worked with the city’s community engagement department to get information about the program to residents most likely to need assistance.
The money was distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, with assistance limited to two pets per household so more families could participate.
Once an applicant was approved, Mesa turned the process over to Dr. Kelly’s.
The veterinary provider agreed to perform the surgeries for a flat $200 per dog and $80 per cat, regardless of sex. The price for dogs also remained the same regardless of size and included pain medication and an e-collar.
“That is a big deal, especially for the dogs because the larger dogs obviously require more anesthetics and more time,” Ibarra said. “So them lowering that price and keeping it at a fair rate was amazing.”
Dr. Kelly’s co-founder and CEO Doug Patriquin said the company went below even the prices it typically offers rescue organizations.
The company specializes in surgical procedures rather than operating as a traditional full-service veterinary hospital. Spays and neuters, dentistry and mass removals make up most of its business, although its veterinarians also perform more involved soft-tissue surgeries.
About 22% to 25% of its business comes from rescue organizations, Patriquin said.
For the Mesa program, Dr. Kelly’s eventually went beyond providing discounted surgeries. When the total cost edged past the amount available through the grant, the company covered the balance, Ibarra said.
The benefit to participating families also could extend beyond the procedure itself.
Ibarra said paying for the spay or neuter through the grant freed pet owners to spend their limited money on vaccinations, preventive care or other veterinary needs they might otherwise have postponed.
Dr. Kelly's Surgical Unit concentrates on surgeries at reduced costs and was a willing partner with the city of Mesa on spays and neuters.
Courtesy Dr. Kelly's Surgical Unit
That has become increasingly significant, Patriquin said, as veterinary expenses compete with other household necessities.
“We see every day more and more people needing or not being able to afford the most basic of preventative services, not only for themselves, but also for their pets,” he said.
The grant program starts with something far removed from a veterinary operating room.
Arizona motorists can choose a specialty plate featuring a cartoon dog and cat, with money from the plate supporting grants for spay and neuter programs around the state. Rescue groups, nonprofits, shelters and government agencies are among those that can apply.
In Mesa’s case, that money traveled from license plates to a city grant and ultimately to the operating tables at Dr. Kelly’s.
Patriquin said the 33 animals helped demonstrate the value and limitations of a relatively small grant in a city Mesa’s size.
“It’s honestly a drop in the bucket to the need of the city of Mesa, but we were proud to be part of it and wish there were more opportunities to continue to do that,” he said. “I mean, the economy’s tough right now. Spaying and neutering is probably not the No. 1 priority of families that are having a hard time buying food.”
The procedures also serve a broader purpose by reducing the number of unwanted puppies and kittens that could eventually wind up in rescues or shelters.
For Ibarra, the first run of the program was straightforward once the recipients were selected. She sent the approved list to Dr. Kelly’s and told the applicants to contact the veterinary provider to schedule their appointments.
“The program went great,” Ibarra said. “I really liked it.”
Mesa now hopes Arizona motorists can help put more pets on that list.
The city recently applied for another grant, again requesting $10,000. Ibarra said the grants are awarded annually, and Mesa does not yet know whether it will receive another one or how much it might get.
If funding comes through, she hopes to continue the partnership with Dr. Kelly’s.
The unmet applications from the first round suggest finding pets to help will not be difficult.
“I know, like he said, 33 animals doesn’t seem like a lot, but at least it’s a little dent in something, and we’re showing that it’s needed in the community,” Ibarra said.
And it all traces back to those little dogs and cats going along for the ride on Arizona roads.
Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines. Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him on X at @sp_blodgett.
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
Arizona pet-friendly license plates,
Mesa pet grant,
Mesa pet owners,
Dr. Kelly’s Surgical Unit,
Diana Ibarra,
Doug Patriquin,
Mesa Animal Control,
spay and neuter assistance,
low-cost veterinary care,
pet population control
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