San Jose event brings hands-on surgical training to local veterinarians, boosting efforts to reduce pet overpopulation and improve community cat care. This work is always so important. Sadly, there is a minority of cat owners who are irresponsible. They cause animal suffering directly or indirectly.
San Jose, CA (April 30, 2025) — With thousands of free-roaming cats continuing to overwhelm shelters and communities throughout California, one local group is taking a bold step to expand access to essential spay/neuter services. Bay Area Cats, a grassroots volunteer organization committed to humane solutions for managing community cats, will host its first-ever veterinary training event in San Jose to help meet growing demand.
The event, taking place on May 4 at the San Jose Animal Care Center, is a partnership between Bay Area Cats and the national nonprofit United Spay Alliance. This hands-on training is specifically designed for licensed veterinarians seeking to build their skills in high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN) techniques—methods proven to increase surgical efficiency while maintaining excellent patient outcomes.
As part of the event, approximately 50 cats—most of them community cats—will be sterilized in a full-day training session. The shelter is generously providing surgical space, supplies, and a seasoned HQHVSN veterinarian to guide participants. Bay Area Cats and its team of volunteer trappers are assisting with logistics, check-ins, and transportation for the cats.
“While we’ve spent years focused on trap-neuter-return (TNR), we’ve increasingly seen how the lack of accessible spay/neuter services can stall community progress,” said Vanessa Forney of Bay Area Cats. “This training marks new ground for us, but it’s a direct investment in building long-term solutions. We’re helping veterinarians gain critical skills while creating more capacity for affordable care in our region.”
United Spay Alliance, which has organized a dozen similar trainings across the country, is facilitating the event—its first ever in California. The goal: to increase regional capacity for affordable spay/neuter by giving local vets the tools they need to perform safe, efficient procedures.
California’s need for such capacity is urgent. According to Shelter Animals Count, state shelters took in nearly 337,000 cats and kittens in 2024, with almost 56,000 experiencing non-live outcomes, such as euthanasia or death in care. These statistics don’t include the countless free-roaming cats living outside of shelter systems.
“California’s demand for affordable veterinary services is massive, and trainings like this are a powerful way to meet that demand,” said Brianna Lovell Myers, Executive Director of United Spay Alliance. “Bay Area Cats exemplifies what’s possible when passionate individuals step up. You don’t need to be a vet or run a clinic—you just need the will to make change happen.”
This event is more than a single training—it’s a model for how community-based initiatives and national organizations can work together to address the root causes of pet homelessness. By equipping veterinarians with HQHVSN skills, Bay Area Cats and United Spay Alliance are building a foundation for sustainable, long-term impact.
United Spay Alliance will continue expanding its HQHVSN training series, with its next stop scheduled for Indiana this June. For more information or to get involved, visit unitedspayalliance.org/hqhvsn-wet-labs.
Their vision:
A world in which …
Unwanted companion animals are not born and made to endure homelessness, loneliness, suffering, and abuse.
The number of cats and dogs is in line with the number of available permanent homes and caretakers, and every companion animal has a loving home.
Society values the well-being of every cat and dog.
The relentless pursuit of affordable, accessible, and timely spay/neuter brings this world within reach.
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