County offers spay-neuter discount coupons

San Diego County Animal Services is offering discount spay-neuter coupons through the end of January. The coupons give a $100 discount for females and a $50 discount for males. The idea is to act now before hundreds of kittens take over the shelters.

"Fluffy baby animals are cute, there is no doubt about that, but there aren't enough homes willing to take in a new kitten or two or three every year," County Animal Services Director Daniel DeSousa said. "As a result, the shelters get inundated with unwanted pets."

Cats can get pregnant at just four to five months old. While still nursing, the mother cat can get pregnant again.

The number of kittens under two months old which were dropped off at the county's shelters peaked in May last year at 571. That number averages out to 18 kittens a day for every day of the month. The number is a lot higher than in 2016 when the highest number, again in May, was 415.

If pet owners use a veterinarian listed on County Animal Services website, the discount for spaying or neutering an animal may be deeper or even free.

The coupons are available to residents in the unincorporated areas of the county and in Animal Services' six contract cities of San Diego, Santee, Carlsbad, Solana Beach, Encinitas and Del Mar. Residents can pick up the coupons, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday at any one of the three animal care facilities or by calling (619) 767-2675. The coupons must be used within 60 days and returned to Animal Services within 30 days of being used so pet owners can be reimbursed.