ASPCA opening several new clinics for low-income pet owners

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Pets are absolutely adorable, invaluable parts of the family, but they can also end up costing owners a pretty penny.

Now, the ASPCA will open permanent clinics in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Upper Manhattan to help under-served communities get better access to veterinary care for their pets.

"We will offer spay and neuter and also what we consider primary pet care, so preventative medicine, things for simple things like ears, skin problems and fleas and ticks," said Dr. Camille Declementi, vice President of the ASPCA Animal Hospital. 

The first center will open in the Bronx later this year.

"We're extremely excited about this initiative," said Matt Bershadker, President and CEO of the ASPCA. "It's going to allow the ASPCA to address two of the most pressing needs facing companion animals, today and into the future. The first, as we heard, is the lack of affordable, accessible vet care, and the second is the lack of appropriate opportunities for victims of cruelty to recover and move on into loving homes."