The Nebraska Humane Society plans to open a facility that will provide low-cost spay and neuter services. It's part of an effort to cut down on free-roaming cats in Omaha.

The Lied Spay and Neuter Center will be housed right next to the Humane Society. NHS officials say the center will perform 8,500 surgeries in its first year averaging 35 per day. The center will be open to the public and will serve both cats and dogs. But the primary purpose will be to reduce the feral cat population in Omaha.

NHS president Judy Varner says after the clinic opens in the spring, they will apply for grants to start a trap/neuter/release program with feral, or free-roaming cats.

"We're going to use volunteers to trap the animals where they are," says Varner, "bring them in, sterilize them, give them a rabies shot, and release them where they go, where they came from. Through attrition the number of feral cats is going to drop dramatically. We know this works. It's happened in other cities."

No tax dollars will be used to build or operate the clinic. Private donations will help build it. Then, once it's up and running, the clinic is designed to be financially self sufficient.

Varner says the clinic will probably start scheduling appointments in the middle of January. The actual cost to have your pet spayed or neutered at the clinic has not been determined yet.