Taggers Deface Mobile Pet Clinic in Lincoln Park

Graffiti was sprayed across the Spay Neuter Action Project's Neuter Scooter

A mobile clinic that offers low-cost spay and neuter services for pets says it will not stop helping the Lincoln Park area, even after its bus was tagged with graffiti there.

Friday morning, workers with Spay Neuter Action Project (SNAP) left their “Neuter Scooter” bus unattended near the Market Creek shopping center as they went to stock supplies.

When they came back, they found “you disrespec” scrawled in spray paint across their vehicle’s side.

Dorell Sackett, the director of SNAP, said in their 11 years driving around San Diego, nothing like this has ever happened.

"It's really disappointing because when we park in these neighborhoods, we meet lots of residents and lots of locals who are so thankful that we're here,” she said.

Some neighbors have even offered to help look out for the Neuter Scooter as it is on patrol.

"This particular night, it didn't happen,” Sackett said.

As news spread about the tagging, one SNAP volunteer, an auto-detailer named Mark Badders, immediately offered to use his expertise to wash away the paint.

Sackett then put out a call to action on SNAP’s Facebook, asking for others to come clean up the bus.

By Saturday afternoon, the Neuter Scooter looked as if the disrespectful message had never been there. The whole situation gave Sackett another idea: to renovate the 11-year-old vinyl covering the bus.

“So we’re going to wash off that spray paint, we're going to raise some money and peel those old vinyls off and put some new images on the neuter scooter and start fresh,” said Sackett.

As an incentive for a big donation, Sackett offered to put the face of a philanthropist’s furry friend on the Neuter Scooter. SNAP is accepting donations on its website.

The director said she hopes whoever did the tagging will realize SNAP is trying to save lives by helping pet owners avoid unwanted litters.

"Keep the spray paint across the street at the graffiti arts center [Writerz Blok], which is right there,” said Sackett. “They're welcome to paint there anytime.”

Nevertheless, SNAP will forge ahead with clinics on Monday and Tuesday in Lincoln Park, during which they expect to fix at least 50 dogs and cats.

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