AUSTIN, Texas -- Fifteen vet technicians and veterinarians returned this week after spending a week in Puerto Rico, offering free care. The trip was part of a nationwide initiative to spay and neuter 20,000 pets.

Emancipet is one of six organizations taking part in the Spay-A-Thon. Its team received funding from a grant from the Humane Society of the United States.

This is not the first time the organization has helped after a big hurricane.

"Hurricane Harvey was a unique experience for us in Houston. It was the first time that anyone in the country had focused a post-natural disaster effort on really helping owned pets recover from the storm, and we did that for three months and this is a really similar situation in Puerto Rico," said Amy Mills, CEO of Emancipet.

The group spent more than a week performing surgeries, checkups, and vaccinations at a gymnasium in Manati, Puerto Rico. Many in that area hadn't had access to vet care since Hurricane Maria hit nine months ago. They often waited outside all night just to get a spot to see the vet in the next morning.

"Even just very basic things like ear infections and skin infections, they had no way to get help," said Emancipet Chief Medical Officer Laura Helmueller. "We do spay and neuters every day. It's not a big deal, but for us to go in and do something that is not a big deal for us, and have such a show of gratitude and appreciation was really moving."

Emancipet neutered 750 pets this trip, surpassing its initial goal. 

Mills said this is just the beginning.

"We are raising money right now, so we can do more services next time, so that we can bring more staff, we can bring more supplies and equipment and we can meet the need that's actually there," Miller said. 

Emancipet will take three more trips. After its last one in 2019, all the equipment and supplies will be donated to local vets in Puerto Rico.

​"That way we can make lasting social change. It's not just about this one trip or even these four trips. It's really about building capacity for changing the future," Mills said. 

Emancipet is taking donations for its trip and also looking for veterinarians to donate their time. You can find more information here.