SNIP: Hope And Compassion For Siskiyou County Pets And Strays

“We have animals dropped on our doorstep in the middle of the night. We get calls about animals out on the street and I go see if I can help,” says Siskiyou Spay Neuter Program (SNIP) president Alisa Fraser. A nonprofit, volunteer-only organization, SNIP’s mission is to help end dog and cat overpopulation in Siskiyou County through education, support and need-based financial assistance to pet owners.

SNIP Board Member Meg Spaulding welcomes newly arrived rescued cats.

From humble beginnings, SNIP expanded to meet pet owners’ crucial needs

Founded in 2002 by Cheryl and Tim Webber, SNIP mainly handed out spay and neuter vouchers and worked to find homes for animals from shelters that at that time were euthanizing animals. After becoming president in 2017, Alisa expanded SNIP’s mission to include emergency rescue of cats and dogs and boarding pets of victims of domestic violence so their owners can seek help at shelters that do not permit pets.

These wiggly puppies, held by SNIP Board Member Meg Spaulding, are waiting for their forever homes.

Alisa and dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly since then to provide a better life for adoptable companion animals without homes and to help limit overpopulation of these animals by making spay and neuter services more accessible and affordable. “For a small group of volunteers, we do a ton,” says Alisa. “In addition to doing weekly cat spay and meuter clinics, we have also participated in several high-volume events throughout Siskiyou County to address both feral and housed cats”

SNIP partners with Essex Veterinary Services and Purr Angels to address the fertile feral cat problem in areas with high feral cat populations in Siskiyou County, establishing spay/neuter clinics in Ft. Jones, Yreka and Happy Camp. SNIP helps those experiencing homelessness by arranging for their pets to be fixed and vaccinated and providing them with collars and leashes. They have even checked on animals for owners who are staying at the hospital and helped owners with fencing so they can keep their dogs. For dog owners who do not have transportation, SNIP will transport their dogs to a vet in Klamath Falls to be spayed or neutered.

SNIP provides education and assistance to the community

Dr. Essex and his wife Jamie, of Essex Veterinary Services, provide a competitively priced spay and neuter service at the SNIP rescue center in a “mobile” surgery van. “It doesn’t actually go anywhere,” says Dr. Essex. “It gets 6 miles to the gallon, so it’s cheaper for us to come here to use the unit then to drive it anywhere.” Dr Essex provides surgery services for both feral and housed cats, allowing them to live a much longer and healthier lives.

Despite the van’s stationary status, it is equipped with a modern veterinary surgical suite. All animals are anesthetized and provided with supportive care after surgery per veterinary ordinary standards of care. Incisions are laser treated to help with recovery. Feral cat ears are clipped to easily identify them from afar as having been fixed. Both male and female cats get tattooed with a small blue line on their bellies to indicate they have been fixed. In addition to altering cats, SNIP and Essex also offer rabies vaccines, FVRCP vaccines and microchips for owners that request those services.

To assure the comfort of the animals and to keep the clinic running smoothly takes many hands. Internships helping prep animals for surgery are available to high school students who, like current intern Saige Risner, might be interested in a career in veterinary medicine. “I had animals all my life and it seems like working with animals would be fun,” says Saige, who volunteered to intern to see if she would like to work in veterinary medicine. Longtime dedicated adult volunteer Leslie Blankenship supervises surgery prep.

SNIP’s compassionate volunteers meet the moment, create family

SNIP not only provides spay/neuter coupons and surgeries, they also do emergency cat and dog rescue and assist the county in emergency evacuations. In response to increasing wildfires in the region, SNIP started a program to house evacuees’ animals at no cost to those who have been displaced. The assistance of many dedicated volunteers and community members and donations from the community have made it possible for SNIP to provide this vital service.

SNIP’s 10 compassionate, devoted volunteers, seven of whom are SNIP board members, work hard to care for animals and provide community support. “Caring for the animals gives me a reason to get up in the morning,” says SNIP volunteer Becca Gutierrez, a wildfire evacuee who wanted to give back. She became a driver for SNIP and then, as she says, “just started doing whatever was needed.” She now helps in the office and kennels, filling many roles. “Since my mother passed away” she says, “I have found the volunteers at SNIP to be my family.”

In 2024, SNIP facilitated over 1,000 cat surgeries, transported more than 100 dogs to Oregon for spay/neuter services and assisted over 1,500 Siskiyou County residents with spay/neuter coupons. SNIP uses grants and donations to help supplement the cost of providing community services and to make surgeries more affordable. “We are grateful to UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program for a three-year grant award,” says Alisa. “With this grant we are able to cover some of the costs for the spays and neuters.”

If you would like to be part of this remarkable organization making a positive, loving impact on Siskiyou County animals and pet owners by volunteering or fostering a cat or dog, call Alisa at (541)531-1086. They encourage anyone who wants to support this vital work to reduce the suffering of animals in Siskiyou County to become a monthly donor. Donations can be made at siskiyousnip.org. To receive a spay/neuter discount coupon for a dog, fill out the form on the website. Registration for the SNIP/Essex Cat Spay and Neuter Clinics is also available on the website.