INDIANAPOLIS — At a time when many families are struggling financially, paying a vet bill can be an extra burden. Indianapolis is lucky to have a low-cost clinic to treat animals.
FACE — Foundation Against Companion-Animal Euthanasia — is a nonprofit organization that specializes in spay and neutering, vaccinations and wellness care. It was formed in 1993 to decrease the number of unwanted dogs and cats euthanized in the Indianapolis area each year.
Every year FACE serves more than 20,000 animals. Jen Hancock is the executive director of the clinic.
"Spay neuter is the most effective way of reducing pet overpopulation," Hancock said. "It's very easy for one cat or kitten to suddenly become a whole litter or two, and making sure that those animals don't end up at our city shelter and taxpayer dollars being spent on that is really a great preemptive opportunity for our city."
FACE primarily serves low to moderate-income families and they believe pet ownership enriches lives, and don't want it to be unreachable for families. Between vaccine maintenance, flea prevention and spay/neuter costs, vet fees can escalate.
FACE is able to keep costs low and the doors open thanks to donors. Prices are very affordable for families. The clinic will spay or neuter all dogs and cats for $75. That's compared to an average of $400-$800 in the Indianapolis community. Vaccines start at $16, depending on the shot.
"Our surgeons are specialists in high quality, high volume spay neuter," Hancock said. "And then on the vaccine front, it will range anywhere from $15 to $30 a visit for vaccines. And so we are able to try to keep our costs on the lower end of that spectrum, again because of our donors."
FACE has had a huge impact on the homeless pet population in Indiana. In 2020 alone, the clinic performed nearly 7,000 spay/neuter surgeries, had nearly 12,000 visits to the medical and vaccination clinic, and served 1,300 cats through the Trap-Neuter-Return program.