In early 2024, we partnered with Donna North High School’s Veterinary Animal Science Program to create a mobile spay and neuter clinic dedicated to serving underserved communities across the Valley. After a year of collaboration, planning, fundraising, and equipment acquisition, our clinic officially launched in April 2025. Since then, we’ve completed over 230 surgeries, with an additional two clinics scheduled for September and October, bringing our projected total to 500 surgeries by the end of 2025. These efforts are more than just numbers. They represent millions of lives saved by preventing unwanted litters before they begin.
Our journey began with a mission to save animals, but we’ve come to understand that actual impact lies in being proactive. Prevention is where animal welfare begins. With the continued support of partners and donors who believe in our mission, we aim to expand our reach, support more families, and break the cycle of overpopulation in South Texas. Currently, our spay and neuter clinics are held at Donna North High School, where we’ve transformed an agricultural classroom into a functional surgical suite. The space is equipped with four anesthesia machines, two autoclaves, two O2 concentrators, 50 surgical packs, heated blankets, warmers, non-controlled medications, and all necessary medical and cleaning supplies.
We’ve partnered with two veterinary medical teams who assist us year-round, each clinic designed with specific goals in mind. Our large clinics serve 150–200 animals and include 3–5 veterinarians and 8–12 vet techs. These events focus on high-volume sterilization to reduce suffering, prevent litters, and combat overpopulation. Our smaller clinics serve 40–50 animals with 1–2 vets and 3–5 vet techs and are designed for training, supporting veterinary animal science students, and veterinarians refining their surgical skills.
By transforming our clinics into educational spaces, we created a career pipeline for students pursuing veterinary careers. Students gain hands-on experience shadowing veterinarians, graduating as Certified Veterinary Assistants with the qualifications to apply to veterinary school. Most importantly, the partnership demonstrated a broader value -- not only were we helping animals, but we were strengthening the future veterinary workforce and serving underserved communities.
Our ultimate goal is to perform 500–800 surgeries in a single weekend, a scale that would truly shift the trajectory of our region’s overpopulation crisis. To get there, we urgently need more equipment, supplies, funding, and a larger medical team.
Want to become a surgery sponsor? Email development@yaquianimalrescue.com
