HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) - If you have a dog or cat that needs to be spayed or neutered but you are unable to afford it, there is a program to help you.

The Kentucky River Regional Animal Shelter in Perry County has received a grant from the Department of Agriculture and Starfish Rescue in Illinois that will help low-income folks have their pets spayed or neutered.

Shelter officials are in the process of holding events in three eastern Kentucky counties, including one that took place Saturday in Perry County.

Dennis Roberts and his wife Sharon can now afford to have two of their dogs neutered thanks to the program. They were on hand Saturday.

"It's a big help for anybody in this area," Roberts said. "Because we were thinking about doing one dog first and doing another one later on, so we're just going to go ahead and do them together."

The Roberts have rescued several dogs and cats and are grateful for the program that allows their pets to be fixed for $25 each.

"It does help the community," Roberts said. "And it's a resource that would probably save money in the future if enough people took advantage of it."

Tammy Noble, chairwoman of the shelter's board, said, "The animal population that we have at our shelter is really unheard of. We do as much as large cities do, so we're trying to get that population under control."

Programs like this are instrumental in accomplishing that goal.

"You're looking at $100 to $200 to have your animal spayed or neutered without the program," Noble said. "This gives those people that are lower income the chance to afford to have those done."

Each participant Saturday was also given a bag of Purina pet food.

Two more such events will be held Saturday, Feb. 23. The first one that day will take place from 8 a.m. to noon at Ermine Senior Citizens Center in Letcher County. The second one that day will be held from one p.m. to four p.m. at the Human Services Center in Hindman.

For more information or to see if you qualify, call (606)-436-3158.