ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- A Pinellas County veterinarian marks a milestone.
Dr. Rizal Lopez DVM has performed more than 25,000 spay and neuter surgeries.
Dr. Lopez says he performed a thousand operations in private practice, and the numbers grew when he joined SPCA's animal health team at its hospital in St. Petersburg in 2011.
"A big part of our job is processing all the homeless animals coming through... by Florida law, they all have to be spayed or neutered."
Lopez says that by altering all those animals, he's not only helped control the pet population. He's also altered their lives and their owners' lives for the better.
The 25,000th patient is a cat named Thumbelina.
Find out more about Dr. Lopez and the importance of spaying/neutering your pet by listening to our Beyond the News podcast below.
Photo: Canva