Our mission is to advocate for animals through spay/neuter assistance programs, affordable vaccination clinics, and by helping homeless strays find permanent homes.
IMPORTANT: Our programs are NOT designed to replace your annual/general/wellness/sick veterinary care. You should ALWAYS have a veterinarian for your pet/s and see them annually (or as needed/recommended). Our shelter uses AND recommends you choose one of our VCA Animal Hospitals throughout New England.
Did YOU KNOW: By having your animals spayed or neutered at the Sterling Shelter’s on-site veterinary clinic, you are also helping the homeless pets in our care? All monies generated by our on-site veterinary clinic benefit the homeless animals in our care. A Win-win for YOUR pets and OURS!
Our clinic is NOT subsidized by any grants or foundations so we could really use financial donations as well as supplies (we’ve made it easy to order items we’re always in need of from Amazon wishlist) .
Many things happen behind the scenes every day at the shelter and in our clinic to help pets in need. Extraordinary things are done daily to help save pets and make their lives better. Each year, almost 2,000 pets coming into our shelter are seen by our caring, compassionate veterinary staff. Every single animal that comes through our shelter IS SEEN by our veterinary clinic and the majority of these pets need to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, some require dental work and/or other types of surgeries or treatments. All of this is done PRIOR to their adoption.
In addition to almost 2,000 shelter animals we care for annually, our clinic ALSO provides MANY other services and programs for dozens of additional shelters, rescues and animals control facilities throughout New England.
In 2015, our clinic opened to the public with a HIGH QUALITY – LOW COST SPAY / NEUTER PROGRAM. Below you can learn about other programs our clinic offers. If you, or someone you know might benefit from these programs please share this information.
How YOU can help US MORE ANIMALS:
- Financial DONATIONS are always welcome – you can donate online
- DONATE MUCH needed supplies right from your computer off our Amazon wishlist – to keep our clinic running…right from the comfort of your home.
- From cat litter to copy paper click here to download a printable list of the items we’re always in need of.
- Spay – 4 – M.A.
Established Spring 2013 – our on-site veterinary clinic provides low cost spay/neuter for healthy/friendly dogs and cats that are 12+ weeks and 2+ lbs. Our clinic promotes and specializes in pediatric spay/neuter. Vaccines, tests and micro-chipping are also available at the time of surgery. A valid rabies vaccine is mandatory per state law before or to be given at the shelter before surgery.
- Feline Feral Fix
Established 2010 – offering low cost spay/neuter for feral cats. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the only proven humane and effective method to manage feral cat colonies. The low cost to Spay or Neuter and Ear Tip pricing can be found on our clinic website. The science behind why feral cats are safe members of our communities and more information on Trap Neuter Release (TNR)
- Shelter/Rescue Group/Animal Control Assistance
Established 2003 – our shelter clinic provides low cost spay/neuter and medical care for several dozen N.E. Animal organizations including other shelters, breed rescues, shelter-less adoption agencies and Animal control officers, that do not have funds or veterinary care available to them. This program provides low cost veterinary services for organizations that can not afford high quality veterinary care elsewhere and allows organizations to adopt out pets while maintaining a 100% compliance rate on spay/neuter PRIOR to adoption. If your organization is looking for low cost veterinary care contact us for details
- Spay Your Mama & Neuter Your Daddy
Established January 2001 – Animal Shelter Inc. provides low/no cost spaying/neutering for pet owners that surrender a litter of puppies/kittens to our shelter. Pets who enter this program must meet specific criteria for our low/no cost services. It is our goal to accept the litter (where they will be spayed/neutered and receive any necessary medical prior to adoption), spay the mother (and/or neuter the father) dog/cat so they do not become repeat offenders of continual litters reproducing in our community. If you or someone you know has had an accidental litter… contact us and we’ll be happy to help!
- Veterinary Training Program
Established January 2005 – Updated program in 2012 – Tufts University 4th year vet students spend one week rotations in our on-site shelter veterinary clinic providing them with hands on surgical experience. Over 60 students rotate through this program each year where they perform several dozen spays/neuters they would never be permitted to do in a private practice vet hospital. We have the opportunity to educate the students about pediatric spay/neuter procedures and protocols, shelter medicine and herd health/management. New graduates will leave school with a sense of accomplishment and passion and we hope “give back” to the homeless animals in their community in the future. Many of our externs have gone on to specialize and focus in shelter medicine and are currently working with shelters nationally!
- Basic dentals – cleaning/polishing and minor extractions – EFFECTIVE 3/2019 – WE
ARE CURRENTLY OFFERING DENTALS AS SPACE ALLOWS (we generally accept a fewof dental appointments each week) – do to the HIGH DEMAND for dentals we utilize a wait list. If your pet is in need of a basic dental cleaning and minor extractions, your pet is healthy and under 5-6 years old please email us for more info.(Our primary mission and goal is to provide all medical care for our shelter pets and then spay/neuter for privately owned pets – and the dozens of other shelters/rescues/ACO’s that rely on our clinic so space is VERY limited for dentals). Pls note: Often times we will have to contact the wait listed dentals with sometimes as short as 24 hours prior to having an opening – so please make sure you understand that flexibility is a must. If we can not reach you or you are unable to make the appointment we have, our clinic team must move on to contact the next person on our wait list, and we would have to contact you the next opening we may have.How much do you know about your pet’s dental health? – Take this quiz to find out.
(Below is an imagine and staging of dental disease pets may have.)
If you are interested in having your pets dental done in our clinic – please expect the following steps:
1. Please contact your primary vet to have your pets handwritten medical records be faxed to us at 978-422-8574 ATTENTION: CLINIC DENTALS (Our doctor/s will review your pet/s medical records to see if the vet documented your pet/s dental score (generally range 1-4 with 1 being the least amount of problems) – PLEASE make sure you provide all your contact information so we can contact you when we have openings – include your full name – pets name – indicate dog or cat – pets age/breed – YOUR cell phone AND home phone and your personal email address.
2. After reviewing your pets records we will have you to bring your pet at 8:30 a.m. – our doctor/s will then exam your pets mouth/teeth to determine if your pet is able to have his/her teeth cleaned in our clinic. For pets that have severe dental disease our doctor/s may refer you back to your primary vet where they would most likely recommend dental x-rays and possibly have any dental work done at your primary vet hospital (our clinic DOES NOT have dental x-rays capabilities). Please make sure you DO NOT feed/water your pet after midnight the night prior. If you pet is having a dental, s/he will be under anesthesia.
3. If you have any questions please email our clinic directly.
With all these amazing programs our clinic offers and unlike OTHER low-cost clinics…
OUR clinic is NOT subsidized by any grants or foundations, so financial DONATIONS are always welcome – and can be easily made on our secure online website – we are also in need of supplies listed on our Amazon wishlist 