ARL Nominated for 2025 Snippy Award for Spay/Neuter Excellence
Published On: 2/23/2026
Last Updated On: 2/23/2026
By Callie, Seymour, Yebba, and Mama, Tucker, and our Hooman Ashley!
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Dr. Rivera from the Berks County Animal Rescue League
We cats like to think we have pretty important jobs around here.
Supervising sunbeams.
Monitoring treat distribution.
Investigating suspicious crinkling sounds.
But even we will pause mid-nap for this kind of news.
The Animal Rescue League of Berks County (ARL) has received an official ARL Snippy Award nomination — and friends, this is not small kibble.
🏆 What Is the Snippy Award?
Launched by Clinic HQ, the Snippy Awards are the first national ceremony honoring excellence in high-volume spay/neuter and wellness clinics. Out of more than 500 clinics nationwide, ARL has been nominated in the Dual Impact Champion category.
Dual Impact Champion.
We love that. It sounds like someone who carries both a scalpel and a soft blanket.
This category recognizes organizations that balance two critical missions:
Placing animals into adoptive homes at high rates
Sustaining strong, consistent spay/neuter programs
In other words?
Saving lives now.
Preventing suffering later.
That’s strategy. That’s compassion. That’s leadership.
The Work You Don’t Always See
Spay/neuter work isn’t glamorous.
It’s early mornings.
Long surgical days.
Precision.
Teamwork.
Emotional stamina.
It’s veterinarians like Dr. Sarah Rivera and Dr. Elizabeth Lopez performing surgery after surgery in the ARL Medical Center — not for applause, but because fewer unwanted litters means fewer animals entering shelters.
That’s the math of mercy.
And when shelters across the country are facing overwhelming intake numbers, high-volume spay/neuter clinics become the quiet force that changes the future.
As ARL CEO Ashley Mikulsky shared:
“This recognition highlights the balance our team works hard to achieve every day, placing pets into adoptive homes at a high rate while also sustaining a strong spay/neuter program that prevents future shelter intake.”
We felt that in our whiskers.
Because prevention is power.
Why This Matters on World Spay Day 2026
The Snippy Awards take place February 24, 2026 — World Spay Day.
Not coincidental.
Spay/neuter reduces suffering. It reduces overcrowding. It reduces strain on rescues and ARLs. It strengthens communities.
And ARL has been doing this work for more than 70 years — caring for the sick, treating the injured, comforting the unwanted, protecting the abused.
They aren’t just nominated because they operate at volume.
They’re nominated because they operate with heart.
Why We’re Highlighting This
At Stray Cat News, our mission is to uplift cat parents, rescues, ARLs, and the entire feline community.
We visit cat cafés.
We spotlight rescue partners.
We share TNR education.
And we tell stories like this because prevention is the foundation of everything we fight for.
Every adoption.
Every community cat.
Every litter that never has to struggle outside.
That’s impact.
If you’ve ever adopted from the Animal Rescue League of Berks County…
If you’ve ever scheduled a low-cost spay/neuter appointment…
If you believe in proactive animal welfare…
Mark February 24 on your calendar. Learn more at snippyawards.com. Cheer them on.
Because when our local ARL earns national recognition, the entire cat community wins.
And we, as your resident newsroom cats, are extremely proud to report that.
