Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends (AARF) in DeKalb County, Ga., has an innovative way for people to earn money to have their pet spay or neutered. AARF is a group that fosters homeless dogs and cats in private homes until they can be adopted.
Under the program modeled after Habitat for Humanity pet owners who cannot afford to have their animals spayed or neutered are allowed to do volunteer-like work for AARF, at the rate of $15 per hour. When the pet owner earns $75, the money can be used at a private veterinarians or at a clinic used by AARF for the surgery.
The program is called Casper's Fund named after the dog of contributors who started the fund by contributing $1,000. Petsmart Inc. of Phoenix has also donated to the fund, which at this writing has enough money to provide 140 surgeries in 2006.
Posted: Jan. 26, 2006, 3 p.m. EST