United We Spay

Dr. Becky Morrow's path into shelter medicine started with a flash drive full of old photos and a memory that still gives her chills: the first time she saw a high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinic in action back in 2006. Private practice had never quite fit, and once she saw that clinic run, she was hooked. She went on to found Frankie's Friends Cat Rescue in 2010 in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, after helping care for more than 400 cats rescued from Tiger Ranch, a large-scale hoarding facility — and has since performed tens of thousands of spay/neuter surgeries herself while training hundreds of veterinarians and vet students in the technique. In this conversation with host Brianna Lovell Myers, Dr. Morrow talks about what actually separates high-quality, high-volume work from "cutting corners" — smaller incisions, faster recovery, and a team-centered model where technicians and assistants are trained just as thoroughly as the vets. She shares the story behind Frankie's Friends' two-day CE training program, a four-day, 325-surgery field clinic in Puerto Rico that trained 40 local team members alongside the surgeries themselves, and a rare cardiac condition in young cats she's now studying with a cardiologist and pathologist simply because her clinic sees enough volume to notice the pattern. She also makes the case that impact doesn't require going all-in: general practitioners who add just a handful of extra spay/neuter surgeries to their weekly schedule can meaningfully move the needle on community cat overpopulation, since roughly 80% of kittens entering shelters trace back to that population. In this episode you will hear: How a single 2006 clinic visit reshaped Dr. Morrow's entire career path into shelter medicine The real difference between high-volume spay/neuter and "cutting corners" — and why her outcomes often beat general practice Inside the two-day Frankie's Friends CE training model, including its team-centered, not vet-centered, approach The story of a 325-surgery, four-day field clinic in Puerto Rico that trained 40 local veterinary team members Why Pennsylvania and Maine's licensing reciprocity rules make them easier states for visiting vets to train and practice in A rare cardiac condition in young cats that Dr. Morrow is now researching, discovered only because of her clinic's surgical volume Why community practices don't need to go high-volume to make an impact — and what "just add five" surgeries a week can do Dr. Morrow's "Just Add Five" presentation from the 2025 United Spay Alliance Conference, available online for anyone who wants the full talk Dr. Morrow's own path to developing her surgical technique largely self-taught, with mentorship from Dr. Donna Hughes Resources from this episode: Frankie's Friends Humane: https://www.frankies-friends.org/ United Spay Alliance: https://unitedspayalliance.org/  

Angela Chapman, Temma Martin, and Brandi Winkleman each run a spay/neuter clinic they built from nothing — and each got there a different way. For Angela, it was a for-sale sign on a building in Lebanon, Tennessee, that grew into New Leash on Life's JOY Clinic. For Temma, it was buying a mid-century building in Millcreek, Utah, on a leap of faith that became Operation Pawpulation. For Brandi, it was a friend calmly describing the day's euthanasia list — a moment that eventually turned into A HOPE, Inc., built on 25 acres cleared by hand in Milton, Florida. Different starting points, same conclusion: adoption alone couldn't solve the overpopulation problem, and prevention had to come first. This replay of a live panel from the 2025 United Spay Alliance conference follows all three through the real work of getting a clinic open and keeping it running — fundraising that ranged from major donors to donation cans at gas stations, pricing services so they stay accessible without draining the budget, and the licensing, staffing, and compliance realities that never make it into the mission statement. Between an established shelter-based program, a startup still building out its hours, and a clinic nearly a decade in the making, the panel offers three working models for anyone trying to figure out which one fits their own community. In this episode you will hear: The "aha moments" that pushed each panelist to leave the sidelines and start a clinic Why prevention — not adoption — has to be the centerpiece of the strategy Real numbers: what each clinic charges for dogs, cats, and TNR/community cat surgeries Creative, low-cost fundraising ideas, including how $700 in donation-can change kept a MASH clinic running The case for program-based budgeting so your board can see which programs strain the organization financially Mobile vs. MASH vs. brick-and-mortar: how to figure out which delivery model actually fits your community The behind-the-scenes business realities of opening a clinic — Department of Agriculture registration, OSHA compliance, insurance, and staffing a team that isn't a vet office, a TNR group, or a shelter Why storytelling and messaging (not just line-item asks) drive donations Honest talk about how many technicians and support staff each clinic runs per veterinarian A reminder that you are not alone — and why finding your own support network matters as much as any spreadsheet   Resources from this episode: New Leash on Life & The JOY Clinic: newleashonline.org Operation Pawpulation: operationpawpulation.org A HOPE, Inc. & Snip Happens Clinic: ahopemilton.com United Spay Alliance: unitedspayalliance.org  

Steve Tennant has spent more than 25 years advocating for animals in West Virginia — work that eventually led him to the board of the Federation of Humane Organizations of West Virginia (FOHO WV), which has been fighting for a statewide spay/neuter program since its founding in 1993. Getting there required years of grassroots lobbying at the state legislature, navigating unfunded laws, and waiting for the right political moment. That moment came in 2017, when a new agriculture commissioner read FOHO's white paper and went to bat for the program. The West Virginia Spay and Neuter Assistance Program officially launched in 2018 at $450,000 — half of what was needed, but enough to start — funded entirely by a surcharge on pet food manufacturer fees, not taxpayer dollars. Seven years in, the results are undeniable. More than 85,000 animals have been spayed or neutered, shelter intake numbers are declining statewide, and an anonymous private donor contributed over $4 million to bring the program to full funding. A 2027 sunset provision was successfully removed this past legislative session. With 85+ organizations applying for grants across all 55 counties and seven spay/neuter clinics operating statewide, West Virginia has become a national model — proof that persistence, smart funding, and the right allies can turn decades of advocacy into a program that delivers real results. In this episode you will hear: The story of Steve's 2007 weekly rescue drives to a central West Virginia gas chamber shelter — and how that experience set the course for everything that followed How the fight to ban gas chambers and the fight for a statewide spay/neuter program ran in parallel, and why winning one cleared the path for the other The founding of FOHO WV in 1993 and the original vision that took nearly three decades to fully realize What grassroots lobbying actually looks like: years of legislative visits until the statehouse staff knows you by name and knows why you're there How the right agriculture commissioner in 2017 changed everything — and why white papers and relationships matter in policy advocacy The pet food manufacturer surcharge funding model: how West Virginia built a program that costs the average taxpayer nothing A breakdown of how the voucher program works: grantee organizations, grant cycles, direct payment to vets and spay/neuter clinics from the Department of Agriculture 85,000+ animals served in seven years, with declining statewide shelter intake numbers as proof the program is working The fight to remove the 2027 sunset provision, and why long-term program security matters as much as annual funding How an anonymous $4+ million private donation doubled the program budget — and demonstrated that proven results attract private investment Rural access realities in West Virginia: seven clinics dispersed statewide, volunteer drivers making two- and three-hour trips, and a shortage of vets that advocates are navigating with dedication Why cats dominate the numbers in West Virginia's program — and how TNR practitioners are taking advantage of the voucher system West Virginia's pre-adoption spay/neuter requirement and how it complements the voucher program to close population gaps Whether a model like this can scale to larger states — and Steve's direct, optimistic answer How to connect with FOHO WV and the West Virginia Spay and Neuter Assistance Program if you want to replicate or adapt this model in your own state Resources from this episode: Federation of Humane Organizations of West Virginia (FOHO WV) West Virginia Spay and Neuter Assistance Program (WVSNP) — WV Department of Agriculture Supporters of FOHO WV on Facebook  

In 1998, Sara White graduated from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine and went to work in a New Hampshire animal shelter. What she saw there — feral cats at a local Catholic shrine, accidental litters flooding shelters, communities with no access to affordable spay/neuter — convinced her that something had to change. With mentorship from Dr. Leslie Appel of Shelter Outreach Services and a grant from the ASPCA, she launched Spay ASAP in 2006: a nonprofit MASH-style mobile clinic that loads surgical equipment into a car and brings the OR to wherever the community needs it. Since then, she's spayed or neutered over 73,000 animals across Vermont and New Hampshire, operating out of church basements, apartment community rooms, and animal shelter grooming spaces alike. The efficiency of the MASH model isn't accidental — it's structural. By focusing exclusively on spay/neuter, keeping overhead minimal, and delegating scheduling and volunteer coordination to host organizations, Dr. White charges prices that general practices simply can't match. She also addresses the broader veterinary landscape: consolidation, COVID-era retirements, and a growing shortage of vets willing to serve underserved communities — and makes the case that high-volume, community-access care and high-touch general practice aren't in competition; both are essential. Dr. White and Stacy also dig into the science around spay/neuter timing — pushing back on the trend of delaying procedures in large-breed dogs and making a clear case for prepubertal spay/neuter in cats, including surgeries on kittens as young as six weeks. It's a stance that aligns fully with United Spay Alliance's Feline Fix by Five program. And for anyone thinking about launching a spay/neuter program of their own, Dr. White's closing message is simple: don't wait for perfect. Start doing the good. In this episode you will hear: How the MASH clinic model works — and what makes it so cost-effective compared to brick-and-mortar spay/neuter clinics What state practice acts mean for mobile clinic operations, and why it's the first thing to research before launching How Dr. White structures pricing to serve low-income communities without relying on fundraising The shifting veterinary landscape: consolidation, vet shortages, and the case for community-access care Why the research on delaying spay/neuter in dogs is less settled than widely assumed — and what that means for families Dr. White's approach to pediatric spay/neuter in kittens, including the case for operating at six weeks Why Feline Fix by Five matters — and how it aligns with the science on early feline spay/neuter A powerful takeaway for aspiring clinic founders: start doing the good before you've built the perfect Resources from this episode: ergovet.com — Dr. Sara White's website covering ergonomics, her MASH clinic model, and links to her research Spay ASAP Inc. — Dr. White's nonprofit MASH-style mobile spay/neuter clinic serving Vermont and New Hampshire Feline Fix by Five — United Spay Alliance's campaign advocating for spay/neuter before five months of age United Spay Alliance — learn more and find resources at unitedspayalliance.org Contact United Spay Alliance: [email protected]  

What does it take to go beyond what's prescribed, to follow a calling, and to tell a story that simply won't let you go? In this episode, Stacy LeBaron speaks with Melinda Grohol, a longtime freelance writer whose passion for people and animals led her to write the official biography of Dr. Jeff Young — the beloved veterinarian known to millions as Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet on Animal Planet. Melinda's connection to spay/neuter runs deep. Growing up in a time when pet reproduction was simply left to nature, she witnessed firsthand the consequences of unchecked overpopulation. That early awareness, deepened by friendships with shelter workers and encounters with advocates like Esther Mechler and Dr. Jeff himself, solidified her belief that spay/neuter is the most powerful tool available for preventing animal suffering. The book, Beyond the Boundaries: The Life and Times of Dr. Jeff, the Rocky Mountain Vet, traces Dr. Jeff's remarkable journey — from his pivotal early decision never to euthanize healthy animals, to his work training veterinarians both in the U.S. and around the world, to the personal challenges that have shaped his life and career. Melinda shares the stories that moved her most, including the chapter featuring letters from former students Dr. Jeff trained, the forward written by United Spay Alliance founder Esther Mechler, and memorable tales of Fred the clinic dog — a golden retriever Dr. Jeff rescued and who now tends to recovering patients in the clinic. Melinda herself is a bookseller at Barnes & Noble with a long career writing about people and causes that make a difference. She describes feeling genuinely compelled to tell Dr. Jeff's story — certain that if she didn't, she would regret it for the rest of her life. In this episode you will hear: How Melinda came to write Dr. Jeff's biography — and why she felt she had no choice but to tell his story The defining moment that shaped Dr. Jeff's lifelong commitment to spay/neuter: being asked to euthanize 56 healthy puppies early in his career How Dr. Jeff built his practice around a non-negotiable rule — every pet that comes in must be spayed or neutered What makes Dr. Jeff such an effective teacher of new veterinarians and how he mentors them through hands-on, side-by-side instruction Stories of Dr. Jeff's work with exotic and unexpected animals — including spaying a jaguar and neutering a camel in rural Colorado The heartwarming story of Fred, the golden retriever Dr. Jeff rescued and who now serves as an unofficial clinic comforter for post-surgery animals The power of trust, collaboration, and handshake agreements in Dr. Jeff's approach to veterinary work around the world Why Melinda believes Dr. Jeff is a role model not just for aspiring vets, but for anyone who wants to rethink how we care for our animals Resources from this episode: Beyond the Boundaries: The Life and Times of Dr. Jeff, the Rocky Mountain Vet by Melinda Grohol — available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet — Animal Planet series featuring Dr. Jeff Young United Spay Alliance: unitedspayalliance.org Esther Mechler, President & Founder, United Spay Alliance — unitedspayalliance.org/about/board