Find answers to MN SNAP's most frequently asked questions:
MN SNAP seeks to serve Minnesota individuals and families who don’t otherwise have access to pet spay or neuter surgery services. Our guidelines for receiving services are:
- You or your family participates in a federal or state needs-based public assistance program, including: Food Support (SNAP, WIC), Medical Assistance (Medicaid, PMAP, MinnesotaCare) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
- You earn less than $45,180 as an individual or less than $93,600 as a family of four.
- You are the caregiver of feral or free-roaming community cats.
- You are a rescue or shelter. Organizations must meet qualifications and be registered with MN SNAP in order to receive subsidized surgeries for the pets in their care.
Please find more information on pricing for services here:
View upcoming clinics here:
https://mnsnap.org/clinic-calendar/
* Please be aware that we have limited availability in the coming months due to increased demand. Thank you in advance for your understanding!
Please click here to schedule your pet for surgery.
*Please be aware that we have limited availability in the coming months due to increased demand. Thank you in advance for your understanding!
MN SNAP offers vaccinations, microchipping and limited basic treatments to surgery patients only.
The following vaccinations are offered by MN SNAP at the following costs:
- Rabies vaccination for pets over three months old: $15
- Cats: PRC (panleukopenia/rhinotracheitis/calicivirus): $15
- Dogs: DHPP (distemper/hepatitis/parainfluenza/parvovirus): $15
*There is a $5 fee for a replacement vaccination certificate/tag.
MN SNAP also offers additional basic treatments as follows:
- Topical flea/ear mite/tick treatment: $15 Injectable
- Tapeworm medication: $10
- Microchip including registration: $20
– Any medications your pet is being given. Please bring labels.
– Cash or credit card to pay for your services. We do not accept CareCredit.
Please be aware: Our veterinary team may find your pet has additional needs during their examination that require additional services and fees (such as ear mite or tick treatment). You will be contacted for approval before any additional services are provided and those will be paid for at pickup.
– Bring your pet in a suitable carrier or crate. Only one feral cat per container will be accepted. We won’t accept containers containing multiple feral cats. If you don’t have a carrier or crate, it’s your responsibility to alert our staff at least 24 hours in advance so we can help you with options for your pet.
– Be ready to provide a valid phone number at which you can be reached throughout the day. If you don’t have a phone, you must arrange a pick-up time with our technician at the time of drop off and a contact person so that we can reach you as necessary.
– You must complete the appropriate paperwork and pay the fees before you leave your pet for surgery.
Please contact our Client Services Team at [email protected] as soon as possible.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BY TOPIC
View our affordable resource list here: mnsnap.org/affordable-resources/
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Yes, you can! MN SNAP has a wish list. The items we use and need most are listed on this page, and we appreciate any in-kind donations we receive.
Yes, MN SNAP has a few different options for recurring donations.
You can send a check to MN SNAP’s headquarters at 2822 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55411. You can also contact MN SNAP to set up a recurring debit to your checking account or a recurring credit card donation at [email protected].
Yes, it costs more to donate by credit card. MN SNAP must pay the fees that a typical business would pay to accept and process credit card transactions, which ranges from 2 to 4 percent.
You may donate items to MN SNAP by sending an email to [email protected] to inform us of what items you wish to donate. We can then establish the best place to drop off your donation. For donations that are not large or heavy, we’re typically able to accept donations at any mobile clinic or at our stationary clinic in North Minneapolis. Working with our staff will ensure the best plan for a smooth transition of the items you wish to donate. Thank you!
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A barn cat is a cat that lives 100 percent in your barn. It may be tame, even friendly, but it’s not an indoor cat. It usually has the job of keeping rodents out of your feed for horses, cows or other livestock. It differs slightly from a feral cat but mainly only in temperament. We offer our services to caregivers of barn cats regardless of financial need.
Outdoor (feral) cats have existed alongside humans for 10,000 years. They aren’t a new phenomenon. Feral cats are members of the same species as pet cats — and are therefore protected under state animal anti-cruelty laws. Feral cats are not socialized to people and survive on their own outdoors. They live and thrive in every landscape, from the inner city to rural farmland. Since feral cats aren’t adoptable, they shouldn’t be brought to animal pounds and shelters, because there they’ll likely be killed.
A feral cat is a cat that has either never had any contact with people, or its contact with people has diminished over time. Most feral cats aren’t likely to ever become lap cats or enjoy living indoors. For our purposes, a feral cat is a cat you can’t pick up and touch, much less cuddle. It isn’t a pet and will likely never be one due to its wild nature. It’s typically a non-social animal that may pass through your property and eat your food but will scatter when approached. Feral cats are at risk for diseases, trauma and unwanted pregnancies.
A truly feral cat is one that can’t be easily picked up and examined for spay scars or the presence of testicles. The ear-tip is a benign and easy way to identify a feral cat that has been sterilized and rabies vaccinated from a safe distance. We also ear-tip barn cats, for the same reason, though we realize many may be tamer than a truly feral cat. We want to make it easy for the caregiver to identify their sterile cats from a possible newcomer that may need to be sterilized.
Spaying and neutering feral and barn cats helps keep them safe, healthy and decreases the number of unwanted feral kittens born each year. Shelters are overwhelmed by unwanted litters of kittens born to feral or barn cats. Studies show that three out of four feral kittens will die before they reach six months old. We prefer to reduce the number of these kittens conceived and born to reduce their suffering. Spaying and neutering feral cats and barn cats also reduces the risk of transmission of disease between a feral cat and your indoor/outdoor pet cat.
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MN SNAP offers vaccinations, microchipping and limited basic treatments to surgery patients only.
The following vaccinations are offered by MN SNAP at the following costs:
– Rabies vaccination for pets over three months old: $15
– Cats: PRC (panleukopenia/rhinotracheitis/calicivirus): $15
– Dogs: DHPP (distemper/hepatitis/parainfluenza/parvovirus): $15
*There is a $5 fee for a replacement vaccination certificate/tag.MN SNAP also offers additional basic treatments as follows:
– Topical flea/ear mite/tick treatment: $15
– Injectable Tapeworm medication: $10
– Microchip including registration: $20
MN SNAP’s surgical fees, vaccinations and other services are highly subsidized through fundraising. This means that all of our equipment and supplies are paid for by fundraising rather than by collecting fees. Most veterinary clinics must recover their costs of operation by charging adequately. Your vet’s office may also perform tests and have equipment that MN SNAP doesn’t, and they must charge for these as well.
MN SNAP subsidized its first surgery April 20, 2010.
There are many good reasons to spay and neuter, and we think the best reason is to reduce pet overpopulation. In addition, neutered pets enjoy a 14 to 26 percent increase in lifespan over intacct animals.
Other benefits include the prevention and treatment of some undesirable behaviors, especially in males, such as urine spraying and marking, humping and roaming. The major health benefit for female pets is the prevention of life-threatening pyometra, which is an infected uterus. One-fourth of female dogs will develop this condition by age 10. The surgery also prevents ovarian and uterine cancer in female pets.
An additional benefit is no more messy heat cycles in female dogs and no more yowling from your female cat. Your male dog won’t want to roam away from home. An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he’s free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.
Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, intact dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house.
Spaying or neutering won’t make your pet fat and hasn’t been shown to increase the likelihood of endocrine diseases. A 2017 study of 4,000 cats found no association between sterilization status and obesity. Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds — not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.
Spaying and neutering highly cost-effective. The cost of your pet’s spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your intact tomcat escapes and gets into a fight with the neighborhood stray.
Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community. Stray animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, damage the local fauna and frighten children. Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets.
Your pet doesn’t need to have a litter for your children to learn about the miracle of birth. Allowing your pet to produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for your children, especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters. There are many books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a responsible way.
Proof of Minnesota residency (photo ID card, driver’s license)
Proof of financial need
Any medications your pet is being given. Please bring labels.
Cash to pay for your services. Be sure to have extra cash in the event your pet has additional needs that are not anticipated at check-in.
Bring your pet in a suitable carrier or crate. Only one feral cat per container will be accepted. We won’t accept containers containing multiple feral cats. If you don’t have a carrier or crate, it’s your responsibility to alert our staff at least 24 hours in advance so we can help you with options for your pet.
Be ready to provide a valid phone number at which you can be reached throughout the day. If you don’t have a phone, you must arrange a pick-up time with our technician at the time of drop off and a contact person so that we can reach you as necessary.
BE ON TIME FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT. CHECK-IN BEGINS PROMPTLY AT THE TIME YOUR PET IS SCHEDULED.
You must complete the appropriate paperwork and pay the fees before you leave your pet for surgery.
We may need you to arrange a pick-up time for your pet ahead of time. Please remember, we can’t accurately predict when your pet will fully wake up, so you may be asked to wait once you arrive. Your patience and understanding are appreciated! We also may need to contact you during the day; so you’ll need to provide us with contact information of a person through whom we can reach you.
MN SNAP performs what is called “High Volume High Quality Spay Neuter,” or HVHQSN. This means we have highly trained doctors and technicians who perform anesthesia and surgery in an extremely time efficient and safe manner. In this way, we can complete as many as 30 to 40 surgeries per day per team.
Please contact our Program Coordinator at [email protected] to arrange this.
Please click here to see our page with low-cost veterinary resources.
Pre-Surgery Questions
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Pets must be healthy, hydrated and eating the day of surgery.
Kittens must be at least eight weeks old and weigh at least two pounds. Puppies* must be at least eight weeks old. *Toy breed puppies must be at least three months old.
All rabbits must be at least six months old.
We may operate on senior animals depending upon their physical exam and health history.
Feeding your pet the morning of surgery is okay. Don’t take away food and water from a puppy, kitten or rabbit before surgery.
Please click here this link to schedule your pet for surgery.
Please click here to see our services pricing page.
Every one of our patients receives customized anesthesia based on its species, age, health and gender. Each patient is sedated with a combination of injectable drugs. This phase of anesthesia lasts a short time, so we then place a breathing tube into the throat, and a mixture of oxygen and a gas anesthetic is given. Each patient receives pain medication before surgery and after surgery. Additional pain medications may be prescribed for an individual patient depending upon the difficulty of surgery, its age or gender, or degree of pain the patient shows after surgery. Administration of anesthesia and pain medication prescriptions are overseen by a licensed veterinarian, and no additional costs are charged if a patient requires additional go-home pain medication.
DOGS
Male dogs may excessively lick at their incision, start to walk, but then suddenly sit down and/or cry out. Female dogs may refuse to stand or walk, may whimper or walk with a hunched up back, may cry when straining to go potty, or may flinch or cry out when touched even slightly on the abdomen. Call the veterinarian who performed your pet’s surgery if this happens, and she will likely prescribe additional medication.
Many dogs will be “whiny” for 12 hours or so after anesthesia. This may not be pain related but may be a condition called “dysphoria,” which is a fancy way of saying they feel weird and disoriented. This can be hard to differentiate from pain. If your dog is whining but quiets down or wags its tail when you speak to it, does not wince or tense up when touched, and seems to enjoy being petted, it is likely dysphoric. This will resolve on its own, and you can help your pet along by keeping it warm and cozy. Some dogs like to be cuddled into a blanket by your side until it passes.
CATS
Cats of both sexes typically are more stoic than dogs when it comes to pain. A cat in pain may sit hunched up but remain quiet. It may hold its head down, its body will be tense, and it may growl softly. The pupils may be dilated, though this is common after anesthesia. A reluctance to move or eat is also a potential sign of pain. If your cat seems to be in pain more than 24 hours after surgery, please contact the veterinarian who performed surgery on your cat.
Dysphoria is also common in cats. Cats that are dysphoric may yowl or cry, growl loudly or hiss, or may act drunk or very wobbly. Kittens can act aggressively. Dysphoria usually resolves on its own as well, but remember, your cat doesn’t want to be cuddled when it’s dysphoric! Instead, provide a very quiet and comfy resting place, with a blanket or towel for it to hide under. Cats like to hide, and this is the best thing to let them do until they feel normal again.
While it may be convenient for transport to the clinic, it’s best for each animal to have their own kennel. This is most important after surgery, as the animals are still processing the anesthetic and can act out toward each other, especially in small confined spaces such as a kennel. Even animals who are buddies can act out of sorts while processing and recovering from anesthesia. For feral cats, this is especially important. We require that animals are in their own kennel.
Try to be sure that your pet has “gone potty” prior to bringing your pet in for surgery. Be sure to take your dog for a walk or let it out to eliminate immediately prior to surgery. If you can’t be certain of whether your pet has done so, don’t worry, your pet can still have surgery.
Please place a towel or blanket in your pet’s carrier so that your pet will be more comfortable during recovery after surgery and when you pick it up.
Please have all paperwork filled out and signed, have your Minnesota ID, proof of qualification and payment ready at the time of check-in. (All fees are to be paid in full at check-in, CASH ONLY).
The risks involved with anesthesia of an older pet will vary depending on its health and weight. Our typical anesthetic protocol relies on a pet’s heart, lungs, liver and kidneys to be fully functional in order to properly and safely break down and eliminate the anesthetic drugs. With advanced age, there’s an increased chance your pet may not have normal functioning organ systems. This can all affect how stable a patient will be while under anesthesia, as well as how quickly it will recover after the surgery. We encourage owners of older pets with KNOWN health problems involving their heart, lungs, liver or kidneys to take them to a private practice veterinarian for diagnostics, anesthesia and surgery. This is because a full-service hospital will be able to provide more support for individual patients than we can offer. Overweight dogs also have an increased risk of complications from anesthesia and surgery. Excessive body fat greatly increases the degree of difficulty of surgery in females, and recovery can be prolonged. Our veterinarian may decline to operate on your pet if she believes that it is unhealthy or likely to suffer serious consequences from anesthesia or surgery. We encourage you to speak with one of our veterinarians if you have any concerns or questions regarding anesthesia and surgery for your older or overweight pet.
Every one of our patients receives customized anesthesia based on its species, age, health and gender. Each patient is sedated with a combination of injectable drugs. This phase of anesthesia lasts a short time, so we then place a breathing tube into the throat, and a mixture of oxygen and a gas anesthetic is given. Each patient receives pain medication before surgery and after surgery. Additional pain medications may be prescribed for an individual patient depending upon the difficulty of surgery, its age or gender, or degree of pain the patient shows after surgery. Administration of anesthesia and pain medication prescriptions are overseen by a licensed veterinarian, and no additional costs are charged if a patient requires additional go-home pain medication.
Because of differences in the length of surgery and recovery time based on species, age and gender, we cannot predict exactly when a pet can go home. Your pet will go home in the afternoon or evening on the same day as surgery.
A MN SNAP staff member will call you with an estimated time your pet will be ready to go home. We ask that you are available throughout the day so that you can pick up your animal in a timely manner. If you have other obligations (work, school, meetings, etc.), please discuss these with our staff at check-in so that we can try to accommodate your needs. It may be necessary to reschedule the appointment if an arrangement can’t be made.
Surgery Questions
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Feeding your pet the morning of surgery is okay. Don’t take away food and water from a puppy, kitten or rabbit before surgery.
Depending on the size, gender and species (dog or cat or rabbit), the actual surgery may take from five minutes to one hour. It’s the recovery afterward that takes the longest. Most cats sleep one to one-and-a-half hours after surgery and most dogs sleep two to three hours or more. We monitor vital signs closely during this time and will only send a pet home once it can walk, and we’re sure it’s able to continue to recover normally at home.
Our veterinarians perform between 30 and 40 sterilizations per day.
Every one of our patients receives customized anesthesia based on its species, age, health and gender. Each patient is sedated with a combination of injectable drugs. This phase of anesthesia lasts a short time, so we then place a breathing tube into the throat, and a mixture of oxygen and a gas anesthetic is given. Each patient receives pain medication before surgery and after surgery. Additional pain medications may be prescribed for an individual patient depending upon the difficulty of surgery, its age or gender, or degree of pain the patient shows after surgery. Administration of anesthesia and pain medication prescriptions are overseen by a licensed veterinarian, and no additional costs are charged if a patient requires additional go-home pain medication.
Post-Surgery Questions
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While it may be convenient for transport to the clinic, it’s best for each animal to have their own kennel. This is most important after surgery, as the animals are still processing the anesthetic and can act out toward each other, especially in small confined spaces such as a kennel. Even animals who are buddies can act out of sorts while processing and recovering from anesthesia. For feral cats, this is especially important. We require that animals are in their own kennel.
Because of differences in the length of surgery and recovery time based on species, age and gender, we cannot predict exactly when a pet can go home. Your pet will go home in the afternoon or evening on the same day as surgery.
A MN SNAP staff member will call you with an estimated time your pet will be ready to go home. We ask that you are available throughout the day so that you can pick up your animal in a timely manner. If you have other obligations (work, school, meetings, etc.), please discuss these with our staff at check-in so that we can try to accommodate your needs. It may be necessary to reschedule the appointment if an arrangement can’t be made.
We ask you to wait two weeks (14 days) before bathing your pet or allowing your pet to swim fully submerged. Foot baths or spot cleaning of soiled fur is allowed using a warm clean wash cloth, as long as the incision area remains dry.
Rest and relaxation! We ask you to keep your pet indoors, clean and dry for at least seven days. Daily monitoring of the incision and your pet’s attitude is required. Keeping your pet confined or restricting activity as much as possible afterwards will greatly reduce the chance of a complication arising. In the case of feral cats, we reduce the restricted activity to overnight.
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Click here to complete and submit the volunteer registration form. A MN SNAP volunteer will contact you within two weeks with follow up and next steps.
Yes, we have different training protocol depending on the type of volunteer position. Clinic volunteers are thoroughly trained by MN SNAP volunteer or a veterinary staff member.