Question: The Hawaiian Humane Society is no longer handling the city and county's Neuter Now program. What do I do with the certificate I bought to spay my dog?

Answer: The certificate you purchased to spay your dog is still good. You can choose from among 18 veterinarian clinics from around the island to schedule the sterilization surgery at your convenience, as long as the surgery is performed before March 31.

Beginning in April, pet owners who want to access the low-cost spay and neuter program will need to use Animal Care Foundation's veterinarian clinic.

The county has selected Animal Care to be responsible for selling the certificates, marketing the program and performing all the surgeries.

Questions about the new terms of the program should be directed to 532-4325.

Q: Why did the county opt to change how the way the program functioned?

A: As administrator and sole surgery provider, Animal Care Foundation agreed to provide the surgeries at a lower price.

The Humane Society managed the program for 22 years but never financially benefited from it. It used its own charity dollars to market and promote the program, and sold the certificates as a public service on behalf of the county. The surgeries were never performed at the Humane Society. Instead, certificate holders were encouraged to create a relationship with a participating veterinarian clinic of their choice. The certificate simply assured pet owners that participating veterinarians would perform the surgery at the discounted rate.