From Thursday September 26 through Sunday September 29, The Kibble Kitchen Pet Pantry will host Snip, Snip Hurray, a low cost spay/neuter assistance program for Porter, Lake & LaPorte County families. They will be working with Spay Neuter Services of Indiana, Inc. (SNSI), which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. SNSI provides financial assistance for spay/neuter surgeries statewide to low-income individuals. Currently, SNSI is offering a $10.00 spay/neuter assistance certificate to approved low-income families. These families will be able to attend one of the scheduled dates, providing necessary documentation to prove their income status and will then be able to receive a certificate. The certificates will allow the families to spay or neuter their beloved pet at an approved veterinarian office across NW Indiana. The certificate does not include vaccinations, or potential other medically necessary tests.
Volunteers from various animal organizations from across NW Indiana will be assisting signing up families during this time. Their help is part of a direct effort to work together towards the same common goal of saving animals. There is a great need to reduce the number of unwanted homeless animals across NW Indiana. Recently an article in a local paper stated that the city of Portage alone turns in 60 animals to a local shelter each month. And the Porter county shelter is fighting space constraints while working to raise funds to build a larger shelter. The other shelters across NW Indiana are also overwhelmed with the amount of homeless animals entering their facilities every day.
"We are in hopes that bringing a larger awareness to the SNSI state wide program will not only provide a much needed service to the community but also reduce the amount of homeless animals," says Michelle Duca founder of the Kibble Kitchen. The Kibble Kitchen has been working the last 2.5 years to bring a reduced spay/neuter program to Porter County with little to no luck, leaving us to work with established programs outside of the area. The need is so great, more and more people are facing financial distress, providing for their families is becoming extremely difficult. Most of these animals were in their homes previously to these hardships, leaving the tough decision on how to continue to provide for their beloved companion. Most cannot even afford a basic trip to the clinic or groomer for a nail trim or grooming if we do not assist these families with basic veterinary care, provide pet food and supplies then these pets too face the chance of becoming homeless. The pantry has been providing pet food and supplies to Porter County families since April 2011, including supplying various rescue groups, animal shelters, and other pet food pantries pet an approximate 30,000 lbs. of pet food since the pantries inception. The Snip Snip Hurray event is just one more way the pantry can reach out to the community and show our support!
5896 US HWY 6 Portage, IN Portage Commons Shopping Plaza
- Thurs Sept 26th 4pm-8pm
- Friday Sept 27th 4pm-8pm
- Saturday Sept 28th 9am-2pm
- Sunday Sept 29th Noon-4pm
To apply:
- Attend one of the scheduled dates, complete and sign the application.
- Bring Cash or obtain one money order payable to Kibble Kitchen for the total amount due ($10 per pet x number of pets).
- Provide proof of participation, you MUST bring a current award letter stating what qualifying program you are approved for, valid ID, & proof of address.
- First come first serve
- DO NOT BRING YOUR PETS WITH YOU TO SIGN UP
- Certificates are available for dogs, cats, feral cats, and cat colonies, if you qualify there is not a limit on certificates!
Program Information:
SNSI covers the cost of spay-neuter surgery. Your pet may need additional services such as disease testing and prevention or blood work as recommended by individual veterinarians. These services are not covered by the SNSI program. Pets should receive annual wellness checks, vaccinations and permanent identification for long‑term health and safety. Your pet’s vaccinations should be current and can be done at the time of surgery or in advance through numerous low-cost resources.
Qualifying programs
- Energy Assistance Program
- Food Stamps
- Major VA Disability
- Medicaid (not Medicare)
- Public School Free Lunch Program
- Section 8 Housing
- Social Security Disability (SSD) - (not S-S-Retirement Income)
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
If you do not fall within one of the qualifying programs, please check out SNSI's website for their income guidelines!
We are hoping our communities will also join us in this exciting effort by lending their support in the form of a tax-deductible monetary donation. The sponsorships are $30.00 each pet, which will alter the animal and provide vaccines too! All funds raised will go toward the cost of spaying or neutering and vaccinating cats and dogs owned by low-income Porter County residents. Highlights of the event will be:
- Goal of altering 300 pets of low income families
- Providing leashes and collars to those in need, also providing proper ID tags to ensure the animals safe return home if lost
- Signing up each family that qualifies for our pet food pantry. The pantry will provide them monthly with pet food, litter, treats and toys!
- Passing out literature about other useful resources in our community
To learn more about our group or our event, please contact Michelle Duca Founder/Executive Director at (219) 734-6936.
Thank you for your consideration of our request. If you would like to make a donation, please call to arrange for pick-up or mail to the address shown on this letter. We will follow up with a phone call on or before Wednesday September 25th