GREENVILLE, N.C., (WNCT) — Earlier this week, Pitt County Animal Services received a $15,000 grant from the national organization Petco Love.

Pitt County Animal Services awarded $15,000 grant from national nonprofit

Shelter Supervisor Miranda Guinn said the grant will provide low-income families with a chance to get their animals spayed or neutered.

“A lot of issues we have in Pitt County is spaying and neutering can be a little bit pricey,” Guinn said. “So a lot of our families that are low income or government assistance, if you were to come to the shelter and show proof of government assistance, we would be able to provide you with a voucher for free spay and neuter and rabies.”

The grant was given to Pitt County because of its active involvement in helping animals in the area. The Pitt County Animal Shelter has programs in place that also help to spay and neuter the feral population of cats. Right now, they are also seeing a lot of kittens enter the shelter, which makes the need for spaying and neutering even more prevalent.

They hope giving low-income families access to spay and neuter services will help curb the overpopulation of cats and dogs in the shelter.

“So in Pitt County, we offer a TNR program which is trap, neuter, release,” Guinn said. “We are trying to get all of our feral community fixed so that way we are not continuing this overpopulation of cats. And if we can also continue those efforts in homes with the low income, I think it would benefit us in the long run.”