Local Organizations Launch Matching Donation Drive for Spay and Neuter Services in The Valley

The R.E.A.P. Foundation and Animal Samaritans have announced a joint fundraising campaign offering a dollar-for-dollar match up to $10,000 for donations toward spay and neuter surgeries in the Coachella Valley.

The "Be Strong For Animals" fund honors NBC Palm Springs morning anchor Mary Strong for her animal adoption efforts and investigative reporting series "Suffering in Silence," which examines animal welfare issues in Riverside County shelters. All donations made through Giving Tuesday, December 2nd, will be matched by the R.E.A.P. Foundation, potentially generating $20,000 for local spay and neuter programs.

Two years ago, Strong began investigating Riverside County Animal Services and their shelters after observing public concern on social media about the euthanasia of healthy animals. Her continued coverage of conditions at the shelter led to a community lawsuit and the replacement of leadership at the facility.

Following the reporting, Riverside County committed to becoming a "no-kill county" by 2027.

Partnership Formed to Address Root Cause

The R.E.A.P. Foundation and Animal Samaritans created the fund to address animal overpopulation through accessible spay and neuter services.

Richard and Lynn Buckley of the R.E.A.P. Foundation said they were drawn to support the cause after watching Strong's Pet of the Week Segment, which airs every Thursday, featuring adoptable pets from Animal Samaritans and the Palm Springs Animal Shelter. "We really bonded with what you were trying to do," Richard Buckley said during an interview announcing the campaign.

Jerred Ellis of Animal Samaritans explained that the funds will help address pet overpopulation in the region. "This is going to help us spay and neuter animals here in the Coachella Valley... we'll be able to help curtail that pet population that we're experiencing an explosion of," Ellis said.

Ellis noted that spay and neuter surgeries typically cost between $300 and $800, making the subsidized services critical for pet owners facing financial barriers. Donations can be made through December 2nd.