2025 World Spay Day Clinics Help Fill Gap in Veterinary Services

May 22, 2025

Cornell University

The Cornell VetCARES Community Cat Spay/Neuter Clinic holds free spay/neuter clinics for community cats in Ithaca, NY, and the surrounding region.  HumaneVMA supported their February clinic in recognition of World Spay Day and Spay/Neuter Awareness Month.  This clinic was organized and run by 39 student volunteers and supervised by college faculty, volunteer veterinarians and LVTs.  Dr. Erin Henry, HumaneVMA faculty adviser and Assistant Clinical Professor with Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program (MSMP) at University of Wisconsin, led the team in spaying and neutering 50 cats on February 22!  Ashley Stroud, class of 2026, stated "Participating in Cornell’s 2025 Spay Day was one of the most memorable and educational opportunities I’ve had in vet school. This experience allowed me to put into play my clinical skills and helped me become more comfortable as an anesthetist. It was so wonderful to see so many students, clinicians, and donors come together to do such a rewarding thing for these cats and their families." You can read more in the MSMP blog.

Louisiana State University

HumaneVMA’s grant for Louisiana State SVM supported veterinary students participating in a shelter medicine rotation.  The school's mobile unit traveled to the Louisiana State Penitentiary to provide medical care for community cats who live on the property.  The LSU SVM has an ongoing TNR program at the prison, the largest maximum-security prison in the United States spanning 28 square miles.  Five veterinary students and Dr. Wendy Wolfson, Associate Professor of Shelter Medicine and Surgery at LSU SVM, provided surgery, vaccinations and flea treatment/preventative for 37 cats on site.  These cats are cared for and loved by individuals incarcerated at the prison.  Dr. Wolfson says that providing these services and giving veterinary students the opportunity to obtain this experience "is one of the most rewarding experiences in my career."

University of Montreal/Universite de Montreal

Refuge Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Veterinaire (Refuge CHUV) was founded by students to provide care to stray or abandoned cats and reduce euthanasia.  Since 1991, Refuge CHUV has overseen the adoption of over 6000 cats and dogs and sterilized over 10,000 animals.  On February 11, three veterinary students attending University of Montreal provided spay & neuter surgeries for 14 cats.  Alice, Cheng, a fourth-year veterinary student said this if her experience (translated from French): "It's a great opportunity to put our knowledge into practice, as our academic training is mostly theory-based. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to work with the Refuge team and participate in their sterilization program!"  Another participant and fifth-year student, Catherine Grappin-Lambert, stated, "The sterilization clinic really is a great opportunity to improve our surgery skills. I feel very lucky to be able to take part and benefit from it. We don't often have access to days like this during our training, so it's really appreciated!"

St. George's University

During this year's WSD clinics, thirteen vet students participating in St. George's University SVM's Shelter Medicine Selective performed spay/neuter surgeries for 16 dogs and cats in collaboration with Grenada SPCA.  In addition to providing students with surgical and anesthetic skills related to HQHV techniques in a shelter setting, these clinics addressed overpopulation and access to care issues faced by the communities on Grenada.  Patients were also vaccinated for Rabies and provided with parasite prevention and treatment.  And Grenada SPCA even provided transportation services for the pets having surgery!  Elizabeth Peach, LVT/RVT, HumaneVMA faculty adviser and co-course director for the Shelter Medicine Selective, stated "This experience is invaluable in inspiring  students in SAMS 539 (the Shelter Medicine Selective) to become future shelter veterinarians and to address the issues of overpopulation and access to care in their careers and communities."

University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign

HumaneVMA Student Chapter officer, Kelly Giles, was instrumental in organizing University of Illinois CVM's World Spay Day clinic on February 1.  Fourteen veterinary students volunteered with school staff to spay or neuter a total of 21 cats.  Each cat was also vaccinated for Rabies and FVRCP and given parasite treatment.  Grace Bidlingmaier, class of 2026, said this of her experience: "This event taught me amazing high-volume spay and neuter techniques that will be so helpful when I am out in the world trying to be a safe and efficient veterinarian. Because of the amazing doctors and staff that helped me, I feel so much more confident in my ability to perform these surgeries. I even ended up adopting one of the kittens that I neutered! Thank you to HumaneVMA for allowing us to have this experience!"  Another vet student in the class of 2027, Lucy Fischer, said "The spay and neuter event on Saturday was the perfect opportunity to learn new techniques and practice with doctors who have done this for years and years. This was the first time that I've practiced self-ligating pedicle ties, and I loved learning about the advantages and disadvantages to different surgical techniques. Plus, it is always a joy to have a positive impact on our community. Thank you so much for allowing us to have this opportunity."

University of Wisconsin

Veterinary student volunteers with the HumaneVMA Student Chapter and the SAVMA Feline Club at University of Wisconsin, Madison volunteered at two separate clinics in collaboration with Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin to recognize World Spay Day this year.  Twenty five students helped perform surgeries for 32 cats on February 8, and 27 students helped alter 33 cats on March 1 - for a total of 65 cats!  Outgoing Vice President of the HumaneVMA Student Chapter and class of 2026, Nandita Chittajallu, said "Spay and neuter work is incredibly close to my heart, and it was truly an honor to contribute to combating pet overpopulation and reproductive health issues through my participation in World Spay Day. This event is a unique opportunity for us as veterinary students to think critically with the importance of spay/neuter efforts, apply our classroom knowledge in real-world settings, and develop our clinical skills in a supportive environment—all while making a positive impact on the community. A heartfelt thank you to Humane World for Animals for providing the grant that made this invaluable work possible!"  Our Student Chapter adviser and faculty in the Department of Comparative Biosciences at University of Wisconsin SVM, Dr. Karen Hershberger-Braker, is instrumental in organizing these clinics and providing support to our chapter at the vet school.