About SANSTEP
SANSTEP was founded by Dr. Laura Paris, DVM in 2025. Many shelters are filling over capacity and it is clear there is a problem. The answer is the same as it's been for over 50 years: spay and neuter to reduce pet overpopulation. So, what's changed? It seems that there are less veterinarians that are willing and/or comfortable with providing this essential service at a cost that is affordable to the general public. Most veterinarians graduate from vet school having performed less than 10 spay/neuter surgeries. They can gain more experience by volunteering or working at a shelter or a spay/neuter clinic but unfortunately, their learning may be limited by the types of surgeries that are presented. In general practice, many veterinarians worry, "what if I am presented with a non-routine spay/neuter surgery" or "what if a complication happens during surgery, the animal is bleeding out, and I don't have anyone to help me?". These are all common concerns. In order to become a proficient spay/neuter surgeon, the veterinarian needs to become educated and skilled at performing routine AND complicated surgeries. SANSTEP was founded with these concerns in mind: providing veterinarians with the knowledge and skills to perform these surgeries with the guidance and support of a HVHQSN surgeon in an environment that is dedicated to this training.
Dr. Laura Paris - SANSTEP Founder and HVHQSN Trainer and Educator
Our founder, Dr. Laura Paris started her veterinary career as a general practitioner in 2004. Although she enjoyed practicing medicine, Dr. Paris realized that surgery was her true passion and began doing more spay and neuter surgeries. In 2010, Dr. Paris began working as a HVHQSN surgeon. In 2013, she joined Animal Friends of the Valleys Spay/Neuter Clinic in Lake Elsinore, California and became the Chief Surgeon, Medical Director, and Operations Director. Dr. Paris grew the Spay/Neuter Clinic from 2 days a week and 40 surgeries to 7 days a week and 275 surgeries. No matter how many surgeries the clinic completed, it seemed like there was a never-ending demand. In 2021, Dr. Paris joined the non-profit Spay Neuter Action Project (SNAP) in San Diego and worked as Chief Surgeon and Medical Director of SNAP’s North County Mobile Unit. Dr. Paris continues to work for SNAP and also works part time for other high volume spay/neuter clinics.
In her 15 years as a HVHQSN surgeon, Dr. Paris has performed over 70,000 spays and neuters on dogs, cats, rabbits, and even a guinea pig. She is extremely proficient which results in few post-surgical complications. She also makes the tiniest of incisions as noted by the many clients who question whether their animal even had surgery.
Dr. Paris has trained veterinarians on spay/neuter techniques since 2016. The positive feedback and gratitude of these veterinarians motivated her to start this non-profit training program. Through the years and thousands of surgeries, she has learned many "tips and tricks" to handle challenging spay/neuter surgeries, prevent complications, and how to handle complications when they do inevitably happen. Dr. Paris wants the opportunity to share her knowledge and skills with other veterinarians with the goal of increasing the number and proficiency of spay/neuter surgeons within the United States.
"I know that "pit in your stomach" feeling when a 9 yr old obese lab walks through the door to be spayed. Even after all the surgeries I've done, I still have to reassure myself, "You know what to do. You got this." "
Testimonials
“The SANSTEP program gave me a lot more confidence handling cases beyond "routine” spays and neuters, and also helped me to learn high-volume surgery techniques and work on my surgery speed. Dr. Paris is an exceptional teacher who shares practical techniques and real-world experience in a very approachable way. During those three days of program I’ve learned more about spays and neuters than I did in my two years in general practice!" - Dr. Tokareva, Ontario, Canada, April 2026
"I had the absolute pleasure of taking part in Dr. Paris' SANSTEP program for spay and neuter recently. I have been in practice for 5 years and have completed a fair share of spays and neuters in general practice. Unfortunately, my surgery anxiety continued to grow as small complications around surgery would arise, and I did not feel comfortable addressing them alone. Large dog spays were my nemesis and brought on the worst of the anxiety. Then I heard about SANSTEP from a classmate of mine. I very quickly booked and couldn't be happier with the experience and knowledge that came from it. In 3 days, Dr. Paris was able to ease nearly every anxious (and at times unrealistic) thoughts/concerns I had about spays and neuters. The first day was EXTREMELY informative, even having completed spays and neuters prior. Her tactics, knowledge, experience, and very kind delivery created a comfortable learning environment free of judgement. The next 2 days were high volume spays and neuters, with close guidance and monitoring by Dr. Paris (which is what we are here for!). I can't recommend SANSTEP enough to anyone looking to learn new tips and tricks from a pro, as well as to ease anxiety over large dog spays/pregnant/cryptorchid animals. Unfortunately anxiety doesn't completely go away so quickly, but Dr. Paris was able to significantly reduce mine in a matter of 3 days, and allow me to tell my staff to book any spay, no matter how large! Thank you SANSTEP and Dr. Paris!" - Dr. Jarrah, San Diego, CA, April 2026
"SANSTEP was such a fantastic opportunity! It was a great mix of lecture as well as hands on learning. Dr. Paris had fantastic models to set trainees up for success with snapping the suspensory ligament and autoligation. I appreciated that Dr. Paris was flexible and allowed some customization of the program based on my personal surgical goals. I walked away from the weekend feeling more comfortable with snapping the suspensory ligament, completing big dog spays, and generally more surgical confidence." - Dr. Weinberg, Chicago, IL, March 2026
"The SANSTEP program led by Dr. Paris is one of the best continuing education courses I’ve had as a veterinarian! Day one is an informative, practical review of canine and feline reproductive anatomy, routine sterilization techniques, and how to confidently manage surgical complications. The next two days of surgery offers the opportunity to apply and refine surgical techniques with Dr. Paris providing individualized coaching, direct feedback, and thoughtful critique. You leave each case more capable, more precise, and more confident. I highly recommend SANSTEP to any small animal veterinarian who wants to elevate their surgical proficiency and strengthen their confidence in the operating room." -Dr. Willrich, Los Angeles, CA, February 2026
"Today I had a 55 lb obese English Bulldog spay. I did the surgery by myself without using my spay retractor. I would have never attempted this before your course. Thank you!!" -Dr. Johnson, San Diego, CA, August 2025
"SANSTEP is well planned and comprehensive. The learning objectives are covered in a classroom setting of a lecture, slides, and a syllabus, on the first day, including discussions of routine procedures, emphasizing safety and efficiency, and nonroutine presentations and complications. This approach is highly effective in allowing the trainee to assess their skill set and get a better sense of where there might be deficiencies. The next two days are spent in the surgical suite, performing spay and neuter surgeries on live animals and the described techniques are put into practice. Dr. Paris remains highly involved throughout each procedure and is available at all times, for questions, concerns, corrections, and support, always with the patient’s best interest at heart, while still allowing the trainee the independence and autonomy to gain confidence." -Dr. Bacmeister, Irvine, CA, February 2026
"I graduated veterinary school during the peak of COVID. With that came limited access to spay/neuter training. I am so grateful that there is a program like SANSTEP that has provided me with exceptional surgery techniques that I can confidently use moving forward. Dr. Paris was made for teaching. Her patience and quality of care and passion for spay/neuter training really showed during my training. Thank you SANSTEP! " -Dr. Barajas, Palm Springs, CA, March 2026
"I will be forever grateful for my experience with SANSTEP and how it prepared me for these last few weeks and how it will help me throughout my spay/neuter experiences moving forward. Your curriculum is comprehensive and your personal anecdotes in the notes are so helpful to reference even after the in person session." -Dr. RB, Portland, OR, December 2025