Cary Bernstein, executive director of Stand for Animals, formerly Spay Neuter Charlotte, believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to own a pet regardless of financial status. Cary founded Spay Neuter Charlotte in 2011 to make an impact on the issue of animal euthanasia in the community. At the time, thousands of healthy but homeless dogs and cats were being killed annually at the local shelter. Cary understood that high-quality, affordable spay neuter was an effective strategy to reduce these numbers. Her assumption proved correct. Since opening the three Charlotte-area clinic locations (Charlotte, Pineville and Lake Norman), the organization has spayed and neutered more than 84,000 dogs and cats. In that same period, the euthanasia rate at the shelter has dropped by 50%.
“While we will not take credit for this dramatic reduction, there is no question that fixing 84,000 animals in seven years has made a huge impact,” Cary says.
Quality Veterinary Care at an Affordable Price
In pursuit of this goal, Cary and her team realized that many of their clients were not able to afford routine veterinary care, another contributory factor in pet owners surrendering their pets.
“It was very clear this was an unmet need in the community. We realized we needed to do more to assist our clients," Cary says. "We began offering basic medical care and evolved into a first-of-its-kind affordable veterinary clinic. At that point, we came to the realization that it was time to change our name. Stand for Animals seemed to perfectly represent what we offer to the community.”
During this journey of growth, the staff at Stand for Animals committed to the principle that everyone deserves the opportunity to own a pet and should have access to affordable services in order to properly care for their pet.
Want to Know More?
To learn more about Stand for Animals or to schedule a veterinary visit for your pet at one of the organization’s three Charlotte area locations, visit StandForAnimals.org or call 704.970.2711.
