ZAPP Spay/Neuter Street Project Resumes Work at NEW Location!
by Steven Forman, aka DogMan

How’s this for good news? On or about October 1st, the ZAPP Spay/Neuter Street Project will resume regular spay/neuter clinics at a new location. From now on, you can find ZAPP on Mar de Cortez, right in between FANDANGO and ONE OF A KIND. It’s in the same strip mall with the PEOPLE’S GALLERY and AMOR PROPERTIES.
It’s been a long year for ZAPP filled with lots of disappointment and as most of you know by now, the ZAPP Center is officially closed to the public in the desert location. But, because the heart of all our problems in San Felipe rests with fertility issues we must continue spaying and neutering otherwise we will never ever get ahead of the animal population problem we have, and we will never see the end of roundups, which always end in the worst possible way.
Our new location is very economical to rent and offers a considerable amount of storage space in the form of an attached apartment in the back, so with some physical improvements inside, we will be able to hold our first clinic on Saturday, October 16th, and once again ZAPP will resume its commitment to the animals and the people of San Felipe.
ZAPP will somehow continue picking up the tab for the neediest of animals Tuesday through Friday at Dr Solis’s Animal Care Clinic on Mar Caribe. Unfortunately, when the ZAPP Center’s benefactor closed down the desert location to the public, the open door policy for any and all animals disappeared as well. That policy was the hallmark of the ZAPP Center, and the only way to continue to provide a safety net for animals in need is by offering veterinary services to those who truly cannot afford it at Dr Solis’s Clinic where he can provide much needed medical care, and ZAPP will pay the bill every Friday.
I know some of this information is confusing to you, but I assure you that any confusion will clear itself up as word of ZAPP’s work continues to spread through town.
Spaying and Neutering and assisting animals in need has always been at the forefront of ZAPP’s mission since the project began back in 2007. These fertility control clinics will once again be low to no cost to the poorest and neediest in our community, and ZAPP will continue to rely on private donations in order to keep up this work.
In the beginning ZAPP will hold clinics as often as we can afford to, with the goal of holding clinics at least twice a month or more. The cost of a spay or neuter surgery is $30 for any animal, and $10 for the course of antibiotics that Dr. Solis recommends for aftercare. However, since the closing of the Center we will return to a “catch and release” policy, which means that any animal that is brought to us for sterilization that does not have a home, will unfortunately be returned to the streets to continue to live on its own. But at least it will not be able to reproduce, and that’s a very good thing.
ZAPP has no choice but to pursue this policy in light of the fact that even though there are currently a total of 17.5 acres of land that has been purchased and developed for animal rescue over the past seven years in San Felipe, there is no one place willing to accept these animals, and that includes puppies and kittens. I do think that’s pathetic.
In a community effort such as this, people must realize that ZAPP will be forced to refuse litters of puppies and kittens as well as more mature dogs and cats unless we can successfully develop a roster of foster homes to send these animals to while we are searching for a more permanent situation. That is simply the way it will have to be until we can spay and neuter 75% of the street population, and finally achieve zero additional population growth.
Please call me anytime at 686-190-3432 if you are willing to become a temporary foster care home. ZAPP will do everything possible to find homes for puppies in the States or in San Felipe, but we will always require an interim solution and depend on the kindness and generosity of the community.
It continues to be up to us to improve the quality of life for animals in this town. We need to BE the change WE want to SEE in San Felipe. If you’d like to donate to the ZAPP Project, visit our website at www.sfzapp.com, mail a donation to ZAPP, PMB 194 / BOX 9019, CALEXICO CA 92232 or drop off a donation to Box 194 at YET MAIL or at the counter of SUNRUNNER Mail Service.