Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. 25:40 is registered as a 501(c) non-profit

Please go to our "Donations" tab on the website to which you will see QR codes you can scan to either make a one-time donation or subscribe to make a monthly donation. Thank you for your consideration to donate to families in need!

Cash or check donations can either be mailed to 11712 Hillard Dr, Menoken ND or be brought to the next scheduled spay and neuter event held at 2214 Lockheed Dr Building 5 unit D

Yes. Examples of acceptable gift cards are Menards, Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, Target, Petco/ Petsmart, Amazon, Chewy, Visa. We will also accept gift cards to local gas stations, local restaraunts, local coffee shops, Costco, Sam's club, etc. Gift cards can either be given to staff at KT pet supply at 2701 E Rosser Ave in Bismarck, mailed to 11712 Hillard Dr, Menoken ND 58558, brought to any scheduled spay or neuter event, or emailed to 2540nd@gmail.com addressed to either "2540 spay and neuter" or Deb Ellison. Thank you so much for your consideration to donate! 

Items can either be brought to KT pet supply located at 2701 E Rosser Ave, Bismarck ND, brought to or mailed to 11712 Hillard Dr, Menoken ND 58558. They can also be brought to any scheduled spay or neuter event located at 2214 Lockheed Dr Building 5 unit D

• Rubber gloves sizes small-large
• Garbage bags sizes kitchen tall- XL yard work heavy duty
• Detergent/ bleach for laundry
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Small ziplock baggies
• Pens, sharpees, and highlighters 
• Gently used yoga mats, hand towels, blankets, and comforters 
• Gently used kennels and carriers (All pieces must be present and entirely clean)
• Disinfecting wipes and spray
• Paper towels
• Pee pads
• Gauze 3x3inches or 4x4 inches
• Slip leads/ leashes
• Small- medium plastic containers or bowls/ drawer storage (Must be entirely clean)

1. Click on "pricing and scheduling" and follow the instructions in those tabs
2. or, click on "events" and follow the link to the next scheduled event if it has been posted

If an event has not been scheduled yet, please email us at 2540nd@gmail.com and we can keep you as a part of an e-mail list to let you know when the next event is scheduled

2214 Lockheed Dr Building 5 Unit D, Bismarck ND

We currently aim to hold an event once every 2 months. The next event will be held on April 25th and 26th 2026

When you arrive at the address, you may either stay in your car outside of the Unit D door, or go up to the door and knock to get staff's attention. Volunteer staff will go over intake paperwork with you including consent form(s), and the CPR/DNR form. Staff will take your animal(s) into our shop where they are weighed immediately and have their sedative medications drawn. They will then be prepped and moved into their procedure. They will then be moved into recovery where we will wait for them to be able to sit up and walk. We will then keep them for roughly 1 hour thereafter to monitor them as they are still vulnerable after anesthesia/ sedation and we will call or text you with any updates, questions, or concerns as well as when to come back and pick up your pet. If any additional expenses were performed outside of what you had already paid, that will be discussed with our director/ veterinary staff and you and expenses would need to be collected prior to you leaving with your animal

1. Email us at 2540nd@gmail.com
2. Call us or text us at 701-401-9481 or 701-401-4847
3. Go to the "Contact us" tab of the website and submit a request there

$26.25. This applies either to a dog or cat

In the case that your animal is taken away, runs away, gets lost, gets left behind, etc and someone finds them, most people know the first step is to check for a micorchip. The number in the microchip is tied to the manufacturer that keeps your contact information to be able to reuinite you with your fur baby. Some states, cities, boarding facilities, and such require a microchip. Some microchip companies cover 24/7 medical hotline services as well as coverage for calling the animal poison control line when you register your information and pay the annual fee. Homeagain, which are the microchips we carry, covers both services when you pay the annual fee

• If you paid for a microchip, you will be refunded if you purchased the chip with 25:40
• We will scan your pet for the chip number and keep it on their paperwork during their service provided. We will lookup the manufacturer information and give you their contact phone number and or website to contact those persons currently registered to their number. 25:40 will not contact them for you
• If they already were microchipped prior to your purchased service, that likely means that they were already owned by someone else prior to you. This can mean a multitude of things may have happened such as they were dumped, they ran away, they were surrendered, a shelter/pound/rescue/etc gave them the chip upon being adopted out to someone and the pet had gotten away/ was put out somehow
• You may have gotten your pet from someone you know and the information has not been switched over yet
• Please contact the manufacturer of the microchip in order to either find out who the chip was registered to and either begin the process of switching over their information to yours or begin the process of returning them to their original owner

1. Find out what company manufactures the chip by looking up the microchip number and contacting the company for the person(s) who is/are registered to their current chip
2. Follow the instructions given to you by the company to request a transfer of information. This may come with a fee

No

Dogs: many symptoms can occur such as a swollen vulva, bleeding from the vulva, frequent urination, acting more affectionate/agressive/ or restless than usual, attempting to escape to seek out male dogs to breed, or humping 

Cats: All of the same symptoms that are noted with dogs. Cats can also try to "present" themselves to members of the family where they stick up their rear and move their hindlimbs around. Another sign is being more vocal or different/ distressed sounding meows than usual

Cats or dogs that are in heat can still be spayed, but there is an increased risk with the fact that more blood flow is brought to their organs

A bloated appearance to their abdomen, engorged mammary tissue/ swollen teets, possible milky discharge out of their teets, nesting behavior such as looking for quiet places to rest or making a type of nest often in preparation for finding a quiet place to give birth. There can also be behavioral changes such as acting more aggressive, more affectionate, or quiet. They may have an increased appetite to compensate for the nutrients the puppies or kittens use from mom. The best definitive way to confirm pregnancy if by an ultrasound or radiographs taken at your veterinarian.

For ultrasounds and radiographs: puppy's and kitten's calcify and build density over time. Each diagnostic method has their own pros and cons. Ultrasound is great for the mid-late stages of pregnancy to confirm any fetuses being present and to especially check for their heart rates. Downside is being difficult to be accurate in counting the amount of puppies or kittens present and pregnancy would have to be roughly 2 weeks along to see anything. Radiographs are great for being more accurate in counting the amount of puppies or kittens as well as their positioning in the body, but it does not check their heart rate and they can only pop up on radiographs when they are roughly 30-45 days along since their bones need to be well calcified to count their skulls/ skeletons

Cats: Roughly 63-65 days

Dogs: Roughly 58-72 days

In the consent forms, it outlines that any pet being brought to the 25:40 clinic for a spay will proceed with the spay regardless of the status of pregnancy due to fetuses not being viable after administration of anesthetics. Performing the spay is in an effort to control unwanted pregnancies and prevent overpopulation while also giving your pet the best chance at a long life with less risk of developing cancer or a pyometra. In the instance that the veterinarian is in the midst of performing the spay and finds the pregnancy, the induction medications and gas anesthetics used often contribute to the fetuses not being viable any longer and cannot be reversed once the procedure begins. An additional fee for the extra time under anesthesia used may apply and will be discussed during discharge

Animals in heat during a spay having increased potential complications of bleeding, bruising, and GI upset including decreased appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting. During anesthesia, the organs are enlarged with an increased amount of blood flow to the organs. This often increases the anesthetic time needed for the veterinarian to compelte the surgery in controlling the bleeding and making a larger incision to accomodate removal of organs of increased size. An additional fee will be added to those animals in heat as it utilizes more supply of anesthesia and suture material. It will be imperative to keep your animal calm, keep an e-collar on, and monitor their incision site twice daily 

Both conditions stand to pose a threat to your pets well being with causing life threatening symptoms if left untreated. Surgical intervention to remove the affected reproductive organs will be needed and the appropriate post-op medications for a full recovery. In extreme, or critical cases of these conditions where pets are not recovering well or are symptomatically not doing well, it is recommended to have the animal brought to the nearest 24 hour emergency clinic or your regular veterinarian. During the procedure, an extended amount of anesthesia is needed in order to properly remove the aftected organs, close a larger incision, and clean out any found infection in the abdominal cavity. It will be imperative for owners to take home pain medications/ have pain medications be given and give your animal antibiotics to fully treat the infection. Associated costs of the extended anesthesia and medications will be gone over during discharge

*These prices do NOT include the cost of vaccines, microchips, e-collars, nail trims, calming medications, or other extended services*

• Cat spays or neuters only (same price)- $99.75
• Dog spay only- $225.75
• Dog neuter only- $165

*Prices below include cat/dog spays/neuters WITH vaccines with options of either doing both Rabies and FVRCP/DHPP or just Rabies/FVRCP/or DHPP. Pricing below do not cover the cost of microchiping, e-collars, nail trims, calming medications, or other extended services*

• Cat spay/ neuter with BOTH Rabies AND FVRCP- $131.50
• Cat spay/neuter with JUST Rabies OR FVRCP- $115.50
• Dog spay with BOTH Rabies AND DHPP- $257.25
• Dog spay with JUST Rabies OR DHPP- $241.50
• Dog neuter with BOTH Rabies and DHPP- $204.75
• Dog neuter with JUST Rabies OR DHPP- $189

Microchips- $26.25

E-collars- $10.50

Nail trims- $10.50

Vaccines (any)- $15.75 each

Calming medication is priced per weight bracket of the animal:

5lbs-25lbs: $5

25lbs-100lbs: $10

100lbs+: $15

Each pet is required to have had one Rabies vaccine done within the past 12 months and to have either had their first round of FVRCP/ Distemper and Parvo combo vaccine(s) as they are under 12 months of age, or have had all their puppy boosters and has had their last vaccine within the past 12 months prior to the clinic. If your pet is under vaccinated, they will be required to have vaccines done while at the event at your expense. If you are in a position to have your animal’s bloodwork and full body examination done with a PT PTT (clotting test), that would also be helpful to ensure that your pet is screened for potential metabolic, red blood cell, white blood cell, clotting disorders etc issues that may indicate that they are not healthy to go under anesthesia or sedation. Pets can still have their procedures performed without a previous exam or labwork, consent forms are required to be signed by owners prior to dropping off their pets to ensure transparency in understanding the risks of doing a surgical procedure without pre-anesthetic labwork or exam. Labwork minimally is ideal in cats or dogs 5 years or older.

• Dogs or cats may feel the need at times to be territorial, show aggression, or want to run away from home. This can be in part because of them being intact with wanting to mate and or an imbalance of hormones
• Many apartment, condo, town home, rented/ leased buildings require pets to be spayed or neutered for you to live there with them, if they will allow pets to live with you at all.
• Avoid marking behavior such as inappropriate urination or spraying.
• When obtaining licensure for your dog or cat, it often is an additional fee charged to you when your pet is intact.
• Many daycare, boarding, or grooming facilities as well as general parks or dog parks legally require dogs/ cats to be spayed or neutered. Facilities may not take your pet in if they are intact or have to isolate them.
• Avoid unwanted pregnancies/ litters. This is often a hassle in the case that there are pregnancy complications, difficulty with financing taking care of the mom and or dad and the puppies/ kittens. Pets can sometimes have difficulty giving birth and need a C-section which is often expensive and avoidable, difficulty in finding homes for all the puppies/ kittens thereafter, if the puppies/ kittens don't latch onto mom or mom rejects them, you either have to bottle feed/ hand feed them yourself every 2-4 hours or find a rescue/ shelter that may take them in. Shelters or rescues often turn away neonates/ especially young puppies/ kittens due to lack of money, them not having enough space, not having the volunteers/ fosters to take them, inexperience with taking care of them that young, and turning them away if they are in poor health. You would also want to avoid the expensive vet bills behind having to vaccinate, deworm them or treat them if any of them were to ever become ill.
• Avoid getting an infection of the uterus (pyometra). Left untreated, the infection of the uterus with this condition is deadly by causing sepsis, shock, and death.
• Avoid from going into heat. This often brings about issues of your pet having bloody discharge from the vulva and accidentally marking around the house, seeming more aggitated/ aggressive/ restless/ clingy, possible diarrhea, possible urination or spraying in the house, excessive vocalization, wanting to run away from home, starting fights with other animals/ people

Other services would include abdominal/ umbilical hernia repair, in heat spay, pregnant spay (abortive/ termination. C-section is not offered), ear cleaning (no medication/ no medication prescribed/ no inner ear exam), etc. Any other services can be put into consideration after emailing/ calling 2540 and talking with our veterinarian(s).

6-8 weeks old. The animal needs to minimally weigh 1.5lbs despite their age and be in good health with no symptomatic concerns

Generally speaking, the ideal age would be roughly 6 months-1 year and anytime thereafter. This is to allow for a healthy immune system to grow, allow for hormonal benefits of going through/ being near their first heat cycle and having better formed joints. Technically speaking, we are able to spay or neuter a dog or cat as minimally as 1.5lbs despite their age, but, if at all possible, we want to give them as much time to develope a healthy immune system and joint support as possible if they are able to wait. For those pets who are older such as 6 years plus have a heightened likelihood for metabolic organ dysfunction and other disorders that may make them a risk for anesthesia, but surgery if approached carefully, can generally still be done

Yes. It will be your responsibility to facilitate trapping and bringing the cat to the clinic

The short answer is yes. Generally speaking, we try to keep our appointments open mostly for owners of lower income to try and always be available to help with their needs. If there is space in appointments and timing of the day to do additional services for other owners, we should be able to accomodate 

It refers to the most commong time of year in which pregnant cats give birth. This timeline typically is between March-October of any year. Timing for cats giving birth and being pregnant can vary from this and give birth/be pregnant any other time of the year. Make your appointment today to have your cat fixed to prevent unwanted pregnancies through the "Pricing and Scheduling" website tab!

Ideally, all pets should have a way to prevent themselves from licking their surgical incision to prevent the incision from opening, bleeding, bruising, or secondary infection. This can be in the form of a cone, surgical suit, sock, etc but you must physically look at your pet's incision at least twice daily to check on any complications as things can go wrong fast. Understandably, this may not be achievable for feral cats/dogs to which it is recommended, if at all possible, to keep the animal indoors during recovery for you to monitor them and hopefully be able to keep a suit or cone on them in that time. Sedative medications can be prescribed as needed during the event

Yes, we are more than happy to help with either giving you medications like Trazodone or writing a prescription for you for your cat as keeping them calm is imperative during recovery. If your pet is in any need for a medication that we don't carry at the shop, we can write you a prescription to have picked up at a pharmacy. In short, keeping your pet calm is imperative in order for them to recover properly. If you believe that they have a potential to be too rambunctious, may/ tends to jump up and down off furniture or counters, you cannot watch them and have difficulty keeping them contained during the day and may have to kennel them where they may get stressed out, it's better to be safe and we'll happily prescribe the necessary medication(s) to you. See the Pricing tab on our website for cost reference

Yes. Generally speaking, for cats and dogs, them being male is fairly obvious unless they are what is called Cryptorchid(a testicle did not descend correctly or has not yet descended therefore is still somewhere in the abdomen or inguinal area). The surgical process is more invasive and time consuming if they are cryptorchid as it will take the veterinarian time to find the testes. Any additional pricing for performing the cryptorchid procedure, will be discussed upon discharge. In a female dog or cat, the only way to know definitively is to see evidence of a scar, tattoo, a missing tip of the ear or making an incision and go looking for the uterine horns and uterus. In the case that a pet is already spayed, we will close up their incision, leave a fix tattoo and call/ text/ email to inform you and we will give you our copy of paperwork to prove by our veterinarian that they have been fixed. The same recovery advice would be given to you as any other spay or neuter surgery with requiring a cone or method of keeping your pet from licking/ chewing the incision or some type of preventative wear from licking to be worn at all times and be given an NSAID medication

Yes. For cats, we give a 3 day injectable dose of an NSAID called Meloxicam and or an opioid medication called Zorbium that each last a few days. For dogs, we give a 24 hour dose of either Meloxicam or Carprofen and as well as send home 3 days worth of Carprofen tablets or liquid Meloxicam

Yes. This is because we require all owners to have their pets at minimum vaccinated while at the event if they have not had any vaccines prior to 25:40. During the event, they will be isolated in an effort to control the spread of anything contagious

Further conversation will be had during intake to discuss what symptoms you are seeing in your pet. After consulting with our veterinarian(s) and if they are comfortable proceeding, we can spay/neuter/vaccinate them but will keep them isolated away from other animals during the event. With pets that are showing sickness symptoms, they may be at risk during sedating or anesthesia as their immune system may be compromised and may be at risk if vaccinated as vaccines stimulate the immune system and cause worsened symptoms if the immune system is already compromised 

• No. We do not perform any diagnostic testing of any kind which involves but isn’t limited to bloodwork, urinalysis, mites testing, skin testing, or any eye tests. Please refer to scheduling an appointment with your rDVM for any symptomatic concerns including that of their eyes, ears, skin, etc. If your pet is found to potentially have any noted concerns found by a veterinary or volunteer staff, this will be documented and brought to your attention

No. In an effort to avoid the potential for your pet aspirating the food or having a potential food allergy, we will not feed any pet unless a concern arises for potential drop in blood sugar. More instructions will be given for your pet’s recovery about a safe amount and when to eat after their surgery

Animals are required to be either in a carrier for all cats or on a leash for all dogs. One will be provided to you otherwise during the event if you don’t have one and must be used. A volunteer working for the event will come to your car with the authorization, consent, and CPR/DNR forms for your pet during this event that you must sign. A volunteer will place a temporary collar on your pet to mark who they are in the process of the event, they will be weighed and placed in our holding area until veterinary staff is ready to start their procedure. They will then be given induction medications and prepped before being brought to surgery. Your pet will then be in recovery until they are able to sit themselves up and walk before being placed back in intake and given a bit more time to come around before being ready to go home. Vaccines, microchipping, nail trims, etc for surgery patients will be done during this process. For pets only getting a microchip, vaccines, or nail trim, a volunteer will check you in and then your pet will be brought into the shop where a doctor will do a quick examination before vaccines are given. Microchipping and nail trims do not require a doctor’s exam, but they must have had a Rabies vaccine within the past 12 months and the exam is no additional cost, but is needed to ensure that your pet is healthy prior to vaccination

We do our best to prioritize pets in order of age, vaccination status, distance traveled by owners, etc. It is impossible to give a firm answer for when your pet will be ready to go home, but we will advise to have your phone on you at all times while your pet is at the event checking your voicemails, texts, emails often for any updates or concerns. We aim to try and have all pets complete by roughly 3-5pm although we cannot promise that all surgeries and such will be complete by then

No. We will only give deworming medication or recommend it currently if there is a suspicion of an animal having any GI parasites. We will not give it preventatively as of right now

4-6 weeks

Any vaccine (Rabies, FVRCP, or Da2PPv) is $15.75. This applies to dogs and cats

No

In order for any pet to be spayed or neutered, they are required to have had a Rabies vaccine and FVRCP for cats or Distemper/ Parvo combination for dogs within the past 12 months. If they are not up to date on vaccines, they will be required to be vaccinated while at the event at your expense.

For nail trims or microchipping, dogs and cats are required minimally to have had a Rabies vaccine within the past 12 months. If they are not up to date on the vaccine, you will be required to have the vaccine be given at the event during the time of their nail trim or microchipping. Please refer to our "Pricing" section to see prices for all of our services. Records of any vaccines must be sent to 2540nd@gmail.com

Go to the link provided below and follow the step by step instructions of what you need to do and what you need in order to apply for your animal's license. Click on "Licenses, permits, impounds, & reports Bismarck, ND- official website"

Licenses , Permits, Impounds, & Reports | Bismarck, ND - Official Website

Yes. Firstly, in order to be spayed, neutered, microchipped, or have their nails trimmed at our event, it is our policy to have them vaccinated for Rabies for not only our safety, but for theirs, yours, and the communities. Secondly, legally in the state of ND, most cities require that dogs and cats alike must be licensed. In order for your pet to be licensed, they must not only have their spay or neuter certificate, but a Rabies certificate as well. Third, rabies exposure is not limited to exposure to just cats and dogs , it extends to any land mammal such as bats, coyotes, racoons, skunk, deer, rabbits, horses, wolves, cows, humans, etc. Fourth, in unforseen instances, you may have to leave your animal in the care of a veterinary hospital or boarding facility to which all clinics and facilities require that dogs and cats alike be vaccinated minimally for rabies. They may also require distemper/parvo combination, FVRCP, etc. 

The nature of the event implies that most of the animals receiving services at the event have a high likelihood to be exposed to other animals who are undervaccinated, assymptomatic carriers of contagious viruses or diseases, etc. Previous vaccination prior to the clinic is ideal that way they already have some immunity to common contagions, but having the vaccines be given during the event gives them a strong chance of being able to fight off contagious diseases or viruses if they do become exposed. Vaccinating them also protects other animals in general around them whether it be at the event or other animals you may have at home or any others they may ever come across in their lives

For dogs: Rabies and Distemper/Parvo combination

For cats: Rabies and FVCRP

We do not offer any other type of vaccination

Yes! 25:40 also offers rabies, distemper/parvo combination,and FVRCP vaccinations in addition to microchipping and nail trims

The youngest that a volunteer can be is 16 years. If you are between 16-17 years old, a parent or someone over 18 who's legally responsible for you must always be present with you. If you are above 18, you may be a solo helper. Please submit any requests to volunteer at the event to 2540nd@gmail.com

It depends. Children at the event must ALWAYS be under your supervision. 2540 staff will not be held responsible for monitoring your child and you as a person responsible or parent will be held liable for any wrong doing. Minors must be 16 years or older to volunteer at the event due to risks of injury, exposure to a multitude of dangers, and needing to be able to listen well and follow specific instructions. Please submit any requests or questions to 2540nd@gmail.com

• You or the other party of interest must, at minimum, be 16 years or older
• You must submit your request to volunteer to 2540nd@gmail.com. No one will be accepted to volunteer without a prior request and acceptance by the 25:40 director
• At each shift, volunteers will be required to sign a liability waiver that will be gone over prior to your shift to each event
• If someone is a minor (Under 18 years old), a parental figure MUST be present with them at ALL times during their volunteer work