Centralized Direct State Funding to Provide Spay-Neuter Access to Communities

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Communities across California are currently facing an escalating dog and cat overpopulation crisis. And it doesn’t appear that the problem will disappear anytime soon.

The situation in State run Animal Shelters is catastrophic. Since 2021 shelters intakes keep growing by thousands of unwanted animals. About 450,000 animals entered the California shelter system in 2023. Shelters Pet euthanasia is at 3 year high. California currently has the highest municipal shelter euthanasia rates in the United States, reaching 17%, a three-year peak.[1]

It is crucial to note that this data is alarmingly INCOMPLETE, as California DOES NOT require shelters to Report intakes and euthanasia data and many shelters do not share their statistics at all.

During the course of the past four years California high animal overpopulation has led to elevated euthanasia rates as high as 53% to 59% euthanasia ratio in some counties ( Apple Valley), 32-36 % ( LA, Bakersfield).

As a result of overcrowding, thousands of dogs and cats, some just a few months old, are being euthanized at shelters across the state. Severely overcrowded shelters are filled with thousands of animals, the majority of them are young, not neutered, not vaccinated or microchipped. Irresponsible Backyard breeders feel our communities with thousands of animals, unsold animals are dumped on the streets and at shelters.

With shelters being over-capacitated, Private Rescues are being besieged with surrender and re-homing requests from dog parents, especially those who are turned away from county shelters.

The majority of Californian rescues are spread thin and completely overwhelmed and are emotionally, physically and financially drained. There is a constant and an ever-increasing number of animals in need of care, and insufficient resources available to meet these growing demands.

The Challenge:

One of the key factors driving most Municipal Shelters beyond capacity for what they were originally built for is lack of affordable spay-neuter services in our communities.

Prior to Covid onset the trend has been toward a steady decrease in shelters euthanasia rates that were reduced from 1970’s through 2020 to significantly low levels.

The success was in part due to widely available subsidized SPAY-NEUTER procedures to state residents. In collaboration with Humane Societies, Californian Municipal shelters used to offer a wide range of affordable spay-neuter programs to state communities.

The high level of spay-neuter achieved over the past five decades is the single most important driver of reduced pet overpopulation and euthanasia in animal shelters [2]

Prior to Covid Euthanasia Trends, 1970-2018

After Covid Euthanasia Trends, 2021-2023:

Since Covid onset, and the subsequent lockdowns the majority of municipal shelters Terminated spay-neuter support to our communities, stopped providing TNR and still have not resumed these vital operations. The unwanted litters continue flooding one county in CA to the next, the community cats population is growing out of control. Volunteers pay their own money to spay-neuter community cats, when they can, but they are out of resources.

Most Californians are unable to bear the financial burden of a $1000+ spay/neuter bill at private Veterinary clinics. The few discounted options that are available fill up rapidly, even though the price range is still far from affordable to many ( $500). Any organization that offers discounted spay/neuter for average Californians have a wait that is 3-4 months long or “has no appointments available”. These services were not considered “essential” at the onset of COVID and the consequences to that is what we see now. The alarming part is – that these services are still not “essential”- temporary restrictions turned into permanent neglect on the part of local animal services. Result: Thousands of animals have been dumped on the streets, found in bags along freeways[5] or surrendered and are facing euthanasia.

The severe and prolonged pandemic-related decrease in spay-neuter services may have the potential to undermine progress made in controlling pet populations and euthanasia in shelters. [6]

In total, 190,818 fewer surgeries were performed in the 24 months from January 2020 through December 2021 than would be expected had 2019 levels been maintained. If a similar pattern was experienced by other spay/neuter providers in the US, it would suggest there is a deficit of more than 2.7 million spay/neuter surgeries. [7]

This gap in affordable spay-neuter services poses a challenge to responsible pet ownership and contributes to the larger issue of unchecked animal population growth. Adding to the distressing scenario, Californian shelters and Humane Societies are increasingly Declining to accept animal intakes from the public, citing lack of space, implementing “reduced intake” policies. This trend is putting immense pressure on small to medium-sized rescue groups, which are already inundated with pleas from the community to take in animals in need. Also, shelters are declining neutering community cats and encouraging people to leave them as they are. Community cats used to be maintained by volunteers caring for, feeding them, and providing TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) through free or low cost spay and neuter. Post-COVID, the availability of these programs has drastically decreased and volunteers cannot afford to pay for these services themselves as most procedures cost around $300-500 at the minimum. When stray animals are not fixed, it leads to uncontrolled breeding and overpopulation. The consequence of this creates thousands more abandoned unaltered animals in our communities, contributing to their growing population. This also raises the risks of spread of communicable disease, such as parvo, various contagious, viral infections, leading to public health risks.

“An un-spayed female cat having two litters each year with a survival rate of 2.8 kittens per litter can produce more than 2000 offspring in four years! An un-spayed female dog and her puppies, if not altered, can produce over 500 dogs in three years!”

By rejecting unaltered stray animals at intake and releasing unaltered shelter animals without requiring spay/neuter have caused more pain and suffering, more bad death on our streets, and facilitated more preventable breeding than any time in recent history.

says attorney Hilary Bagley Franzoia, who headed the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Animal Cruelty Unit and Animal Cruelty Task Force.” [9]

THIS JUST CAN’T GO ON. RESCUES CAN NO LONGER COPE WITH HUGE NUMBERS OF DOGS AT RISK OF BEING EUTHANIZED DAILY.

Medical journals, some politicians, Animal rescues and advocates sound alarms on animal issues, but lobbying groups often drown out their voices. Lawmakers prioritize lobbyists over enacting meaningful legislation, eroding past progress. Animals are euthanized in shelters at alarming rates, worsening the crisis. The cycle of “sheltering” thousands of stray dogs and cats keeping them on stray hold, and then “trying” to get them adopted or resorting to euthanasia for thousands that remain unadopted, is a band-aid solution that won’t work long-term and is a waste of tax-payer dollars.

Lack of Animal Welfare Funding:

Animal shelters in California are operated by Local Governments and are overseen by local jurisdictions. Funding for public animal shelters and private Non-profit shelters contracting with local governments are funded independently through each local jurisdiction. It is estimated that California spent a little over 400,000,000 in FY 2021-2022 (Funding amounts dedicated for each shelter varies across local jurisdictions).

One-time Shelter Funding. The 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 state budgets included a total of $50 million investment for a statewide Animal Shelter Assistance Program (program) administered by UC Davis.

In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that, “We want to be a no-kill state.” He allotted $50 million to the endeavor. But, as The Sacramento Bee reported in October, “Three years and tens of millions of taxpayer dollars later, California animal shelters are euthanizing more healthy, adoptable dogs and cats than ever…That is sadly typical of the government and this governor in particular. Make some grandiose promise. Allocate tens of millions of dollars. Spend it studying the problem rather than reforming the agencies that are responsible for fulfilling the mission. Any animal lover can, for much less money, tell you how to reduce euthanasia [10]

California Does not allocate State Funds towards Animal Shelters And welfare in California. The Proposed 2024-25 State Budget ( General Funds Expenditures) is 291,490 Billion. Even amidst an animal overpopulation crisis plaguing our communities, California’s State Budget seems to have no space for animal welfare. Despite California being the largest economy in the US, it harbors the highest homeless animal population and the highest euthanasia levels in the country. Sadly, this alarming situation doesn’t appear to motivate lawmakers to take action. Current Budget has no Funding for Animals Welfare[11]

The Solutions. Simple Ones At That.

We need to come together as a community to put an end to this vicious cycle.

We need California’s elected officials to hear us and see what is happening in every municipal shelter across the state. Without a systemic framework, innocent lives pay the price as more animals flood our streets and shelters.These tragedies are avoidable. California can’t linger any longer. Congress must act urgently.

We must demand better animal welfare services in California starting with State funded low-cost spay and neuter services, call on congress to step up and deliver effective and lasting solutions.

There are plenty of examples from across the world where animal overpopulation is successfully addressed through subsidized Spay-Neuter Services. For 120 000 cats were neutered in UK in 2022 through Voucher’s assistance, costing 10 euro

It is crucial that all Californians contact our representatives and elected officials TODAY and ask them to PRIORITIZE State Funding to reverse the unfolding crisis.

Request California Congress and Governor’s Office to:

Recognise Animal overpopulation Crisis, work on solutions as part of crucial Core State Priorities. Adding Animal Crisis to Core State Priorities is critical step for the well-being of both our animal population and struggling communities

Prioritize and Allocate Sufficient Public Funding ( Including Emergency State Funds) to establish widely accessible low-cost Spay-Neuter programs throughout the state, establish a relevant Category within the 2024-25 State Budget. With soaring inflation and a high cost of living, Californians need affordable access to these services. Local jurisdiction Animal services are no longer able to provide these essential services.

Funding for animal welfare should be sufficient and based on each region’s population needs, prioritizing areas with high euthanasia rates. It should be transparent and allocated directly to Californians, not through Third party organizations that use unrelated grant criteria. This ensures fair distribution to communities most affected by this crisis.
Considering lack of veterinarian staff at shelters, providing financial assistance in the form of vouchers would allow expanded access to spay-neuter services through private veterinary clinics.
Develop and implement a systematic approach, possibly create a State Task board to address systemic problems, come up with a long term approach: Develop and implement measures to prevent overbreeding of animals by strengthening breeder laws and regulations, stopping illegal animal sales, implementing mandatory spay-neuter and registration requirements. These are key steps toward controlling the population of unwanted animals, reducing the burden on shelters, and improving overall well-being in our communities.

Request County/City Officials, Municipal Animal Services (Shelters) to:

Direct public funds, as a High Priority to Restore public access to free and low cost Spay-Neuter services that were terminated during Covid.
Expand low cost spay-neuter operations capacity to levels, that are sufficient in providing reliable subsidized access to California Communities within their jurisdiction
Establish Relieve packages, Subsidized Services for Pet Owners experiencing financial hardships ( spay-neuter, veterinary care)
Request necessary Funding assistance through the State Government sources ( CA Congress and Governor)
Considering the lack of veterinarian staff at shelters, provide financial assistance in the form of vouchers that would allow expanded access to vital spay-neuter services through private veterinary clinics
Develop a public system, where residents can transparently apply, and promptly receive needed assistance
Provide Publicly Published Progress reports

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