Wood County Spay and Neuter Efforts Increase

The Fix Is In Helps Control Wood County Feline Overpopulation

WOOD COUNTY, WI (OnFocus) – There are an estimated 58 million stray cats in the United States alone and Central Wisconsin is not excluded from the cat overpopulation problem. Nonprofit group The Fix Is In is undertaking a significant effort to help control this issue locally.

“The cat overpopulation is a human problem. We have allowed this to happen either by ignoring it or by trying to help and feeding them,” said Karla Ortman, TFII Founder and Board Vice-President. “Feeding an outdoor cat enables them to reproduce more, exacerbating the cat overpopulation problem. Many will die but they will quickly be replaced through reproduction.”

Based in Lake Tomahawk, The Fix Is In (TFII) has been providing high quality, low cost spay and neuter services for cats and dogs since July 2012, with over 30,000 animals sterilized since then. Through their mobile unit, they are able to assist people and animals throughout Central Wisconsin. Each year, TFII alters approximately 5,000 cats.

“Long story short, The Fix Is In has helped a lot of cats!” said Bree Richardson, founder of Fixing Feisty Felines, a local group that partners with TFII to help manage the cat overpopulation. “They have a new process, too, that allows people to reach out for help with community, feral, and farm cats.”

Richardson has since joined forces with TFII to provide even more help in Wood County. In just two months this summer, The Fix Is In has helped spay and neuter more than 200 cats in Wood County alone.

“After learning about The Fix Is In, Bree took the initiative to trap the feral cats in her town and bring them in to be fixed. She raised money to pay for the surgeries. She saw the impact of her work on a local level and decided she wanted to do more,” said Ortman. “While she was helping to point people to our clinics to get their cats fixed, she also stepped up to research grant opportunities and write grants to secure more funds to help people get outdoor cats fixed. She has been an amazing force and has given new life to what The Fix Is In is doing.”

Rural properties overwhelmed by cats, owners looking for an affordable spay/neuter surgery, or even feral colony managers can contact TFII through their online portal to schedule a clinic.

There are many ways to support TFII’s mission and monetary donations are especially important.

To learn more, visit https://thefixisin.org/. Donations can be made online or mailed to:
The Fix Is In, Inc.
PO Box 32
Lake Tomahawk, WI 54539

Ortman encourages everyone to help spread the word about the importance of spay/neuter.

“Cats are physically capable of reproducing at the age of 5 months, so getting them fixed before they start reproducing is key,” she said. “We have limited staff and volunteers so if people know someone is feeding outdoor cats, they can offer to help them fix those cats by letting them know about us, offer to help trap and/or transport the cats to a clinic, or sponsor their cats.”

We welcome your stories! Contact us at [email protected]!