The Pearl River County SPCA will be holding its first spay and neuter program of the year to be partially funded through grant money.

Judy Wheaton, PRC SPCA director, said the animal shelter has volunteers who focus on searching and applying for grants to help cover operating expenses at the shelter. Wheaton said the shelter applied for the grant in September and were notified the week before Christmas the full amount of the request would be awarded.

“I cannot say the amount we were given from the grant, as it is part of the rules of the organization, but we will be using the funds strictly for our spay and neuter program,” Wheaton said.

The PRC SPCA’s special will allow citizens of Pearl River County to buy coupons to have their pet spayed or neutered for a price of $40 for dogs and $30 for cats, which is half the regular cost, Wheaton said.

The coupons will be sold between Jan. 9 and Jan. 31 and will be valid for three months after the date of purchase. Coupons can be purchased at the animal shelter, located at 1700 Palestine Road, Wheaton said.

Wheaton also said the animal shelter has spayed and neutered 35,000 animals since 2005, which is when the animal shelter began the spay and neuter program. She believes the program has helped the shelter reduce their intake number from 6,000 to just below 3,000 in the last couple of years.

“By having either a cat or dog spayed and neutered, we are able to reduce the number of stray cats and dogs, so this is a great opportunity for pet owners to take advantage of,” Wheaton said. “Even when we charge the regular amount for an animal to be spayed and neutered, sometimes we have to cover the rest of the cost, so this grant will help us a lot.”

PRC SPCA is continually looking for donations and volunteers to help care for the many cats and dogs waiting to be loved by a family or individual, Wheaton said.

For more information about the spay and neuter program and the animals currently available for adoption, visit prcspca.org or visit their Facebook page.