Episode #33
From Nothing to Neuters: Live Panel Replay, 2025 USA Conference
Angela Chapman, Temma Martin, and Brandi Winkleman each run a spay/neuter clinic they built from nothing — and each got there a different way. For Angela, it was a for-sale sign on a building in Lebanon, Tennessee, that grew into New Leash on Life's JOY Clinic. For Temma, it was buying a mid-century building in Millcreek, Utah, on a leap of faith that became Operation Pawpulation. For Brandi, it was a friend calmly describing the day's euthanasia list — a moment that eventually turned into A HOPE, Inc., built on 25 acres cleared by hand in Milton, Florida. Different starting points, same conclusion: adoption alone couldn't solve the overpopulation problem, and prevention had to come first. This replay of a live panel from the 2025 United Spay Alliance conference follows all three through the real work of getting a clinic open and keeping it running — fundraising that ranged from major donors to donation cans at gas stations, pricing services so they stay accessible without draining the budget, and the licensing, staffing, and compliance realities that never make it into the mission statement. Between an established shelter-based program, a startup still building out its hours, and a clinic nearly a decade in the making, the panel offers three working models for anyone trying to figure out which one fits their own community. In this episode you will hear: The "aha moments" that pushed each panelist to leave the sidelines and start a clinic Why prevention — not adoption — has to be the centerpiece of the strategy Real numbers: what each clinic charges for dogs, cats, and TNR/community cat surgeries Creative, low-cost fundraising ideas, including how $700 in donation-can change kept a MASH clinic running The case for program-based budgeting so your board can see which programs strain the organization financially Mobile vs. MASH vs. brick-and-mortar: how to figure out which delivery model actually fits your community The behind-the-scenes business realities of opening a clinic — Department of Agriculture registration, OSHA compliance, insurance, and staffing a team that isn't a vet office, a TNR group, or a shelter Why storytelling and messaging (not just line-item asks) drive donations Honest talk about how many technicians and support staff each clinic runs per veterinarian A reminder that you are not alone — and why finding your own support network matters as much as any spreadsheet Resources from this episode: New Leash on Life & The JOY Clinic: newleashonline.org Operation Pawpulation: operationpawpulation.org A HOPE, Inc. & Snip Happens Clinic: ahopemilton.com United Spay Alliance: unitedspayalliance.org
