How we check

Where the facts come from

Only the program's own pages: its price list, fee sheet, booking page, eligibility page or event calendar. Directories, maps and reviews help us find programs and judge whether they are still running, but they are never the source of a price.

Each fact is stored with the page it came from, a short quote in the program's own words (15 words or fewer), the part of the page where it sits and the date it was seen. Every program page lists its sources at the bottom, with what each one backs and its check date.

Who does the checking

AI research agents gather and recheck the facts. They read each program's pages and record what they say. Before anything is saved, every quote is proven against the saved section of the page it came from; a quote that is not there stops the change.

We do not contact, call or visit clinics, and we do not log in to booking systems. When a booking form shows availability without signing in, we may note what it showed on the day.

Out the door

For each standard case (a female cat spay, a male cat neuter, and a female dog spay or male dog neuter at 25, 50, 75 and 100 lb) the out-the-door total is:

• the base price for that surgery and weight, as the program states its weight bands,
• plus any per-pound charge,
• plus every extra the program says it always adds,
• plus a booking deposit the program says is not credited to the bill,
• minus a current special with clear terms.

Costs that depend on your pet (in heat, pregnant, older, no rabies proof) and optional extras are listed beside the total, never inside it, with their full posted range. A cat with no stated weight is priced as a typical adult cat. When a price depends on household income, the lowest is shown with the full schedule beside it.

Words we use when something is missing

• Book at a posted priceAn exact price for the surgery and weight, with a way to book it now.
• Price posted, no dates right nowThe program posts a price, but it applies only on dated surgery days and none is posted right now. It is never ranked as bookable until a date appears.
• No price postedThe program does not post an exact price for that surgery or weight. Not posted is never shown as free, and never as "not offered".
• Does not offer this surgeryThe program says on its own page that it does not do that surgery.
• Over the weight limitThe program states a weight limit and the pet is over it. The page quotes the limit as the program states it.
• Base price posted, required extras not pricedThe base price is posted, but an extra the program always adds has no posted price, so the total is not known.
• No rules postedThe program does not say who qualifies. That is not the same as "open to anyone", so we do not say it is.
• Closed, temporarily closed or status unknownPrograms that stopped, paused or cannot be confirmed keep a short page that says so, with no price.

Dates, and how often we recheck

Each source has a schedule set by what it holds:

• Weekly for event dates, voucher availability and specials.
• Monthly for standing price pages and fee sheets.
• Quarterly for eligibility rules, booking pages and locations.

A recheck reopens the same part of the page. If its text is unchanged, only the check date moves. If it changed, the facts from that part are read again. If it moved or disappeared, it goes to a deeper review rather than a guess. Facts are never deleted because a page failed to load once.

Specials and events carry their end dates. They drop off the site when the site is rebuilt after that date, and the page hides them in your browser once the date has passed, even before the next rebuild.

What we do not do

No program pays to be listed. We do not rate or rank programs, and we do not give medical advice. Each clinic may require bloodwork or vaccines on the day; check its own page.

Found a mistake?

If a price or rule here no longer matches the program's own page, tell us. We check the page again before changing anything.