Does a licensed veterinarian perform the surgery?
Yes. NC state law mandates that any person performing surgery on an animal be a licensed veterinarian by the North Carolina State Veterinary Board.
What is the cost to have my pet spayed or neutered?
The cost of spaying or neutering depends on a number of variables, including sex, size and age of the pet. Spay/neuter is a one time cost compared to the cost of two months of pregnancy, having a litter, and two months of ensuring the health of the mother and litter until weaned. The Humane Society of Charlotte is a non profit organization that operates a low cost spay/neuter clinic with a flat fee, regardless of size or age. (Download application) Our cost to you is discounted so that we can make a difference in euthanasia rates and unwanted births. We do not make a profit from surgeries performed. (Our prices)
What forms of payment do you accept?
When submitting an application for surgery, your payment can be in the form of credit card, money order, or check. If you would like to pay cash, we encourage you not to mail the payment in but rather schedule in person at our office between the hours of 9am and 5pm, Monday through Friday.
I want to fax or email my application to you. How do I send payment?
If you are planning to fax or email your application to our office, please indicate your credit card information on the application in the space provided. If you are not comfortable sending your credit card information this way, you will need to mail the completed application to us with either check or money order. If you send in an application via fax or email without payment, we will not be able to process your request. We cannot complete an application for surgery over the phone.
How long will I have to wait to get an appointment?
Our appointments for surgery are scheduled via a pre-paid appointment. We are scheduling 1-2 weeks out for male and female cats and for small and medium sized dogs. We are scheduling appointments 4-6 weeks out for large breed dogs. The wait time for dogs depends on their breed, age, and weight at the time of surgery and is at the clinic's discretion. Larger dogs have longer wait times due to limited space. Wait time varies and may be longer when you are contacted to schedule an appointment due to the low cost nature of our clinic and the volume at which we receive applications every day. (Schedule an appointment). We do sometimes schedule out 3-6 months for most appointments.
Can you schedule the pay/neuter appointment for my animals on the same day?
Yes! We are able to schedule up to three animals per household each day. If you have more than three animals needing to be schedule, we will need to break their appointments up but this can be done over consecutive days.
Can you give my animal shots while it's there?
Yes! We only offer limited vaccines to clients on the day their animal is here for surgery. You will be asked to sign an increased risk form that morning, in the event of possible vaccine reaction. We do not accept walk-in clients for vaccines. We do not give physical exams or offer any other veterinary services. (Our Prices)
Do you administer pain medication to my animal?
Yes! An injectable form of pain medication is given to all animals prior to surgery. This injection will last through the day of surgery. Beginning October 1, 2009 you may purchase pain medication for your animal from our clinic. Please let a staff member know on your animal's scheduled date of surgery if you wish to purchase post operative pain medication. You may also contact your regular veterinarian to obtain pain medication if you prefer. (Myths and truths of Spay/Neuter)
Can you microchip my animal?
Yes! An optional microchip is available to all clients scheduled for spay/neuter surgery. (Our prices) We do not accept walk in clients for microchips. You will only be offered the microchip purchase on the day of surgery for the animal that is scheduled.
Can you declaw my cat, fix a hernia, remove my dog’s dewclaws, pull baby teeth etc., while it's under anesthesia?
Because we are a high volume clinic, we are unable to perform any other surgical procedures other than spay/neuter surgeries and open umbilical hernias. We ask that you contact your regular veterinarian for any other surgeries your animal may require. We are able to fix an open umbilical hernia on an animal only at the time of its scheduled spay/neuter surgery. If it is a closed umbilical hernia, you will need to see your regular veterinarian. Please refer to our application for surgery for prices.
Do you perform laser surgeries at your clinic?
We do not perform laser surgeries at this clinic.
Do you tattoo the animal with an identification number?
When we switched to the optional microchip service in November 2007, we decided to no longer tattoo animals during surgery. If your animal had surgery prior to November 12, 2007, then yes, your animal was tattooed.
How can I volunteer my time at your clinic?
If you are interested in volunteering, please visit the volunteer page of the website for information on our next volunteer orientation meeting. You will also find our volunteer application on this page.
If you are a veterinarian or technician interested in volunteering, please contact our clinic manager at tcornell@humanesocietyofcharlotte.org
Yes! We are able to schedule up to three animals per household each day. If you have more than three animals needing to be schedule, we will need to break their appointments up but this can be done over consecutive days.
