Fresno County has pledged $500,000 to a pilot program providing affordable spay/neuter and rabies vaccination services to Central Valley residents.

The initiative, set to start on Tuesday, April 2, is a collaborative effort between the County, Kirkland Foundation, Fresno TNR, Mell’s Mutts, and Paw Squad 559.

The program, Central Valley Spay/Neuter (CVfix.org), will assist residents in unincorporated areas of the County in accessing low-cost spay/neuter services for their pets.

However, the website to schedule appointments was so overwhelmed at the outset that Central Valley Spay/Neuter had to take it offline.

“The demand promptly overwhelmed the appointments on the website,” said Kyle Kirkland, a longtime Fresno animal advocate. “So we basically press pause on the website for a notice. And we’re working on it right now to make sure there’s more appointments available.”

Appointments can be made online at CVfix.org, with a small co-payment required from pet owners.

Fresno County Deputy CAO Amina Flores-Becker said, “The County of Fresno and the Board of Supervisors view animal overpopulation as a public health issue and are committed to addressing it. We are delighted to support local non-profit organizations in providing access to spay/neuter services for County residents.”

Kirkland, founder of Kirkland Foundation, added, “The Central Valley suffers from an ongoing animal overpopulation problem that can only be alleviated with easier access to low-cost spay/neuter programs. We are pleased that the County has offered to fund this pilot program.”

Residents can visit CVfix.org or call (559) 477-8410 to arrange for spay/neuter services for their pets.