HICKORY, N.C. -- The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced a $300,000 sponsorship for the Humane Alliance of Western North Carolina's National Spay/Neuter Response Team to provide a strategic training program and facilitators to mentor organizations to open and operate 12 new high-volume, high quality spay/neuter clinics across the country in 2007.

Ed Sayres, president of the ASPCA, presented the $300,000 pledge to Humane Alliance director Quita Mazzina at the Humane Society of Catawba County, which will operate one of the model spay/neuter clinics in Hickory. The clinic will be part of the Humane Society's multipurpose animal welfare facility that is currently under construction.

The Humane Society of Catawba County is being built through a $400,000 pledge from the Ryan Newman Foundation. NASCAR driver Ryan Newman and his wife Krissie are national spokespeople for the Humane Alliance's National Spay Neuter Response Team (NSNRT).

A total of 22 organizations around the country have applied to open clinics, and a minimum of 12 of the 22 will open this year. These organizations will partner with hundreds of local animal shelters and rescue groups in their regions.

The Humane Alliance of Western North Carolina is a non-profit high volume, high quality, affordable spay/neuter clinic located in Asheville. Since its inception 12 years ago, The Humane Alliance clinic has sterilized 180,000 companion animals and reduced the euthanasia rate in the Asheville community by an astounding 72 percent.

Through the NSNRT initiative, which began in 2005, the Humane Alliance's team of facilitators has mentored 21 organizations across the nation to successfully implement its high volume, high quality spay/neuter model. More than 200,000 companion animals have been surgically sterilized at these clinics in just two short years.

NSNRT operates much like a NASCAR pit crew, sending groups of trained vets and veterinary technicians to help nonprofit organizations how to open spay/neuter clinics using the Humane Alliance model. NSNRT has already trained six organizations so far this year.