Pet Population CartoonSpay and Neuter. It isn’t just something Bob Barker told you to do. Pet owners in the northeastern US choose this option of sterilization for
their pets because there are not any other effective and cost-efficient options available right now. The average cost in New York City to spay or neuter a dog is between $290 and $600 (and this price does not necessarily include the pre-surgery examination or any bloodwork to make sure the pet is healthy enough to withstand anesthesia).

Since this is a tad out of the price range for some pet owners, there are alternatives like the Big Fix.

At the Center for Animal Care & Control, you can have a spay or neuter performed for $35.00 per dog or $25 per cat. This is a life saving program for some people who have taken in pets but are unaware of the financial situation they face in the first year of pet ownership.
The procedures take place every Monday at the Bronx shelter (464 East Fordham Rd) and every Thursday at the Brooklyn shelter (2336 Linden Boulevard). You need to call ahead to book an appointment (212-788-4000).

Here are other low-cost spay/neuter options from a recent NY Daily News report:

The ASPCA recently unveiled its third state-of-the-art mobile spay/neuter van available to New Yorkers on public assistance. And at the Humane Society of N.Y., low-cost surgery is available to pet owners of all income levels, beginning at only $48 for a female cat.

Purchasing coupons to use toward the cost of spay/neuter surgery from participating vets can also help defray costs. For a nominal fee, the Friends of Animals‘ spay/neuter programs certificate covers the cost of a routine procedure including exam, surgery, anesthesia and pain relief medications at participating vets.

The Muffins Pet Connection offers discount spay/neuter certificates at 83 participating local veterinarians, starting at $38 for a male cat to $72 for a female dog.

The reality is that pet ownership requires taking good medical care of your pets. Spay/neuter is just one part of being responsible. Here are a spay procedure play-by-play and neuter FAQs.

(Cartoon via the Volunteers for Animal Welfare website of Oklahoma)