The BIG FIX: A Volunteer's View from the Field

Guest Post By: Christina Veloz

I used to live in Omak, Washington where I worked for the school district managing an after school program for middle schoolers. I loved my time in Okanogan County and fell in love with the beauty of the land and the kindness of the people. I haven’t been back there since 2005 and when I found out about an opportunity to volunteer with an animal rescue organization in the area that offers free spay, neuter, and pet resources for pets in the Okanogan area, I jumped at the opportunity. Team Okanogan Animal Rescue (TOAR) in partnership with Greater Goods Charities undertook a momentous feat in June 2025 of spaying over 1000 cats and dogs over four days in the Big Fix 3.0. This initial Big Fix 1.0 began in Okanogan, Washington back in May of 2024 and has continued to grow each year with The Big Fix 4.0 in September 2025 being the biggest event to date, serving 1,131 animals. This event is the largest FREE spay/neuter, vaccination, and microchip event in Washington State. 

I took this opportunity to volunteer the entire four days from September 25 to 28 because I wanted to see and experience first hand the operational lift of so many volunteers pursuing their passion of working to keep people with their pets. Okanogan County has the fourth highest poverty rate in Washington where the median income in 2023 is $31.6K, compared to King County of $60.7K. Also, Okanogan County borders the second largest American Indian reservation, The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Nation which encompasses approximately 1.4 million acres. This part of Washington is wild and rugged and beautiful and faces similar issues of most rural towns; transportation issues, lack of quality health care access, and limited housing stability makes the need for accessible vet care so important. “This work is especially critical in Okanogan County, where there is no county-funded public animal shelter and no county animal control officer,” TOAR consultant Jeanine Foucher. 

I traveled from Boise to Okanogan with my Scamp in tow driving ten hours to the Okanogan Fairgrounds where I set up camp for the four days. My role was to assist the operational organization of the resource warehouse. I worked alongside Cathryn, who was a professional program manager for a city government and who I assisted in organizing the enormous task of organizing food, collars, clothing, leashes, harnesses, cat food and items, toys and whatever else comes with owning a pet. Greater Goods Charities brought the technical expertise like veterinarian, vet techs, operational setup, data and administrative expertise, cat crew to trap and spay feral cats and all the other staff including chefs who cooked delicious meals for the hundreds of volunteers. The Humane World for Animals charity donated 45,000 pounds of pet food and supplies as well as other charities, businesses, and individuals contributed so every participant went home with something for their pet. 

This is a first come first serve clinic and at times people with their pets were turned away because the appointments were filled for the day. Because I was camped at the fairgrounds, I witnessed the many people with their pets lined up the day before to bear the cold night in their car so they could get one of the coveted appointments. I met several people who traveled up to six hours one way to wait overnight to get an appointment and then have to drive back the next day after waiting all day to pick up their pet. It was so palpable the love and devotion these people had for their pets; enduring cold nights, long hours, restless pets for their beloved family members to get the care they needed. I was exhausted after the four days but I left Okanogan with a renewed faith in humanity and the experience of observing and participating in love in action.