Spaying/neutering of all pets is encouraged at an early age for the better health of the pet. San Antonio Animal Care Services (SAACS) partners with the listed clinics for both free and low cost spay/neuter services for San Antonio residents.
And here’s great news for Alamo City pet parents! The SAACS East and West Spay/Neuter Clinics offer free spay-neuter services exclusively for City of San Antonio residents.
To qualify for free or low-cost spay/neuter services at an Animal Care Services sponsored clinic, you must be a City of San Antonio resident. If you live outside city limits, you may still qualify for low-cost services and should contact your clinic of choice below.
Eligibility
- Proof of Residency
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You will need to provide a picture ID with your current address or a bill with your address to receive services. Before you take your pet to the clinic, check with them about what you need to prove where you live.
Not sure if your address is in San Antonio, Unincorporated Bexar County or another municipality? View the Bexar County Community Dashboard to find out what jurisdiction you are in. This free application will allow you to identify your local, county, state and federal jurisdiction and representation as well as other useful information.
- Animal Age, Weight & Health
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Each partner has their own clinic rules and requirements in order to provide services for your pet. Usually, dogs and cats need to be at least two months old and weigh at least two pounds. The clinics will also check if your pet is healthy enough for the surgery. If you have questions, always ask the clinic's vet for help.
Cost
When making an appointment, be sure to ask what services can be provided for your pet. If you live within San Antonio city limits, it is free to have your animal spayed/neutered and you will not need a special voucher to receive this service.
If you are outside the City limits in the County, in another city, etc., you can still ask your chosen clinic about appointments and fees. Remember, the ACS-sponsored partner clinics are for pet sterilization only. These clinic partners may add extra fees for pets who need extra medical care, or a rabies shot.
Make an Appointment
The listed clinics below are ACS partners for free and low-cost spay/neuter. Check with your clinic to see how many pets you can take.
NOTE: Appointments are required, and each clinic has its own appointment process. Walk-ins cannot be accepted.
Please check with partner clinics for additional appointment times and waiting lists. Some clinics open extra appointment slots at the beginning of each month, so be sure to check back.
Partner clinics may also offer various low-cost services including vaccinations, preventatives and microchipping. Be sure to ask when scheduling your appointment.
Find a Clinic
ACS Clinics
ACS Clinics offer free spay/neuter services exclusively for City of San Antonio residents.
Book an Appointment
Partner Clinics
About the Program
ACS's programs, like the free spay/neuter service, get reviewed once a year during the annual budget process. If approved by the City, the funding for these programs starts in October of each year and goes until the end of September the next year. SAACS always suggests scheduling services as soon as you can.
Other Options & Community Cats
If you are not eligible for free services, you can go to the Spay-Neuter Network clinic at Brackenridge. They offer low-cost sterilizations to the community. Other clinics in the community may also offer low-cost options.
Please note that ACS has a different program to support spay-neuter for community cats in San Antonio (sometimes referred to as outdoor or feral cats). During surgery and under anesthesia, they will remove a small part of the cat’s left ear. This process is called "ear-tipping" and it's a safe and easy way to identify that the cat is feral and sterile. If you are caring for a community cat, contact the Community Cat Program or call 210-207-6696
Top Ten Reasons to Fix Your Pet
- Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life.
Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Fixing your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
- Neutering provides major health benefits for your male pet.
Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.
- Your fixed female won't go into heat.
While cycles can vary, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently — sometimes all over the house!
- Your male dog won't want to roam away from home.
An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males. Remember! If your dog roams off your property you can be cited!
- Your neutered male will be much better behaved.
Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.
- Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat.
Don't use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds — not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.
- It is highly cost-effective.
The cost of your pet's spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. You may even qualify for FREE or affordable services! It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered dog or cat escapes and gets into fights with the neighborhood stray!
- Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community.
Roaming animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, and frighten children. Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets.
- Your pet doesn't need to have a litter for your children to learn about the miracle of birth.
Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for your children — especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters. There are tons of books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a more responsible way.
- Spaying and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation.
Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer on the streets. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.