Last Litter Program
Homeward Pet Adoption Center is working within our community to reduce pet overpopulation, help prevent unplanned litters, and ensure that every animal has a home. With our Last Litter Program, we are able to offer free spay and neuter surgeries for cats and dogs brought to our shelter with adoptable litters.
Through the Last Litter Program, your adult cat or dog will be spayed or neutered at no cost, and then return home with you. The kittens or puppies will remain with Homeward Pet to be examined by our veterinarian, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped before being adopted by their new families. Appointments are required, and assistance is dependent on available space and resources. See our FAQ section at the bottom of this page additional requirements, qualifications, and other important details about this program.
So that we can help as many people and pets in our community as possible, we have established the following procedures for those requesting assistance through our Last Litter Program:
1. Please begin by completing a questionnaire to tell us about your pets:
2. We will review your completed form and respond within 72 hours.
3. If your pets appear to be candidates for our Last Litter Program, we will schedule an intake appointment where you will bring your adult cat or dog in to our shelter, along with the litter of kittens or puppies. Each pet will be examined by our staff veterinarian. Every animal must pass this evaluation to be accepted into our Last Litter Program.
4. If accepted, they will remain in our care immediately following the appointment. The kittens/puppies will be permanently surrendered to Homeward Pet at that time. Your adult cat or dog will be spayed or neutered, and will return home with you later in the afternoon.
Optional services available at time of surgery
We offer the following optional services at the time of your pet’s surgery.
Rabies Vaccination | |
(DHPP) Canine Distemper Combo Vaccine | |
(FVRCP) Feline Distemper Combo Vaccine | |
24PetWatch Microchip (including implant and registration) | |
Pain medication for 3 days after surgery | |
Cone (to prevent licking/chewing at the surgery site) |
FAQs
Our veterinarian must determine that your adult cat/dog is healthy and ready for surgery. They may be declined if determined to be unfit for surgery for any reason. Please let us know if your pet has any preexisting conditions that our veterinarian should be aware of before surgery.
Your adult cat would also receive a blood draw to test for FIV and Feline Leukemia. We are unable to accept any cats or kittens that test positive for Feline Leukemia.
The kittens/puppies will receive a wellness exam. We are unable to accept any litters showing symptoms that may be related to a contagious disease or illness that would put the other cats or dogs in our shelter at risk.
Your kittens/puppies must be old enough to be separated from your adult cat/dog. For the benefit of their social development, we recommend waiting until the puppies/kittens are at least 8-10 weeks of age. They must also be fully weaned and able to eat solid kitten/puppy food.
Cat Behavior and Health Tips
Dog Behavior and Health Tips
If you’re caring for a litter of kittens, The Kitten Lady has a complete database full of all of the information you may need to care for these babies.
We’re also here to help. If you have additional questions about how to safely care for puppies or kittens, you can reach out to staff, at .
If you need to rehome your puppies or kittens immediately, please try contacting your local animal control agency or shelter. See our list of Animal Control Services to find the agency or shelter that provides animal control services in your city.
You may also find assistance through our list of other local shelters and rescues.
Once ready for adoption, the puppies/kittens will return to our shelter to meet potential adopters. Kittens and puppies are typically adopted within a few days. In most cases, they do not remain in the shelter for an extended period of time.
Please see our handout on Animal Control Services for more information on where to take a stray animal.
Homeward Pet is not able to humanely house or rehome feral cats. However, in many cases, young kittens can learn to be friendly and social with people if they receive enough interaction and handling. Check out these resources from The Kitten Lady to learn how to socialize a shy or feral kitten.
If you have an adult feral cat that you need to have spayed or neutered, please reach out to the Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project.