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Hundreds of South Florida Spay + Neuter Surgeries Funded by Specialty License Plates
PURRR Adoption + Sanctuary (PURRR) can now offer free spay + neuter services for TNR (Trap, Neuter, and Return) and community cats thanks to a $25,000 grant from Florida Animal Friend. The organization provides grants to animal organizations throughout the state of Florida to support low- or no-cost spay + neuter services, funded directly by its specialty spay + neuter license plate, helping save countless homeless pets. PURRR will use the funds to spay + neuter over 400 South Florida cats.
Founded in 2018, PURRR Adoption + Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to transform cats’ lives one PURRR at a time, through rescue, adoption, and spay + neuter initiatives that help reduce overpopulation and enrich the human-feline connection. PURRR is committed to giving cats and their companions a better future by offering a safe haven and encouraging responsible pet ownership.
PURRR offers low-cost, high-quality, high-volume spay + neuter services exclusively for cats. Since launching its clinic in 2021, PURRR has become one of the few organizations in Broward County solely dedicated to this initiative. In 2024 alone, PURRR performed 3,048 surgeries, 2,598 at its clinic in Fort Lauderdale and 450 through partnerships with shelters.
“South Florida faces a feline overpopulation crisis, driven by limited access to affordable, high-volume spay + neuter,” said Michelle Schecht, Executive Director of PURRR Adoption + Sanctuary. “We are deeply grateful to Florida Animal Friend for their commitment to animal welfare. This vital support expands our efforts to prevent overpopulation and provide lifesaving services for the region’s most vulnerable animals. The community can join the cause by purchasing a spay/neuter license plate. Each purchase directly funds programs like ours.”
Feline overpopulation in South Florida stems from a lack of accessible, affordable, and high-volume spay + neuter services, compounded by the continued, unmanageable growth of the community cat population. The demand for services far exceeds availability, particularly for free-roaming cats.
PURRR’s Spay + Neuter program is built on principles of accessibility, collaboration, and impact, serving the public, independent trappers, rescue organizations, and underserved communities. To support spay + neuter, PURRR offers significantly reduced rates for community cats, along with discounted pricing for rescues. These subsidies ensure that cost is never a barrier to preventing future litters and reducing overpopulation.
PURRR believes that reducing feline overpopulation requires a unified, community-driven approach. PURRR has cultivated strong partnerships to extend its reach and maximize impact. Its clinic model combines surgical efficiency with compassionate, individualized care, ensuring each cat receives the attention and safety they deserve. PURRR’s dedicated team is driven by a deep love for cats and a commitment to their well-being and is committed to providing consistent, lifesaving services to South Florida’s most vulnerable feline populations.
The community cat population remains largely unmanaged and continues to grow. Financial support and resources in South Florida remain limited and insufficient to meet the community’s growing needs. This leaves a critical gap, particularly for community cats and those caring for large colonies, placing the burden on independent trappers, grassroots rescuers, and nonprofits who also have limited resources.
Most trappers and independent rescuers pay out of pocket or try to fundraise to cover the cost of sterilization, which can be prohibitive when managing dozens, or even hundreds, of cats. With limited funding and few affordable options, necessary surgeries are often delayed, leading to continued breeding cycles and further straining the system. As the feline population continues to grow, the current availability of services cannot meet the ongoing and urgent demand, especially during peak kitten season, which is year-round with surges in spring and late summer.
High-volume, affordable, feline-only programs like PURRR’s are vital to closing this gap and providing the community with a realistic, accessible path to preventing overpopulation.
For more information about PURRR Adoption + Sanctuary, and spay + neuter and vaccine services, please visit www.purrr.org.
About PURRR Adoption + Sanctuary:
Founded by Tanya Lynn Heller in 2018, PURRR Adoption + Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to transform cats’ lives one PURRR at a time. Through rescue, adoption, and spay-and-neuter initiatives, PURRR’s passionate team of cat lovers are dedicated to helping reduce overpopulation and enrich the human-feline connection. PURRR’s dedicated team works to create a better future for cats and their companions by providing safe haven and promoting responsible pet ownership across South Florida. PURRR’s team and volunteers are driven by a deep love for cats and bring a wealth of experience and compassion to everything they do.
For more information about PURRR Adoption + Sanctuary, please visit www.purrr.org. For more information about rescue, adoption, and spay + neuter initiatives, email info@purrr.org or call 954-745-0801. Follow along on social media on Facebook and Instagram.
