California’s pet overpopulation crisis is at a breaking point. With the highest municipal shelter euthanasia rate with an average of 17% over three years—twice the national rate and highest homeless animal population in the U.S. Overwhelmed shelters are forced to euthanize healthy, adoptable animals for space. Many can no longer accept found animals, leaving pets to survive on the streets. It’s clear: prevention, not reactive measures, is essential.
To address this crisis responsibly, Support the establishment of a California Spay Neuter Fund and urge the California State Legislature to allocate $30M annually for 15 years, that would provide a humane, cost-effective solution. California taxpayers currently spend over $400 million per year through local jurisdictions on an overwhelmed shelter system, yet less than 1% of this amount goes towards preventative spay and neuter services, which are in high demand and have proven to reduce shelters intakes.
Investing in spay-neuter services would “turn off the tap” of unwanted animals, save taxpayer dollars, and spare countless lives. Let’s end the costly, reactive cycle and create lasting change. The time is now to urge the California State Legislature to take action. Establish a CA Spay-Neuter Fund today to secure a brighter, safer future for our pets and communities alike.
Petition
We are writing on behalf of numerous organizations representing public and private shelters, animal rescues, non-profit spay neuter clinics and small businesses; and hundreds of individuals from all of the state’s 58 counties to request the inclusion of a new line item in the California state budget starting fiscal year 2025-26. This request would establish a California Spay Neuter Fund. Five states have legislated Spay Neuter Funds and as a consequence have made great strides in addressing the tragedy of pet overpopulation: Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, West Virginia and Delaware. Washington and Hawaii are working on legislation as well.
- Sheltering is Expensive – Spaying and Neutering is Not The average cost in California to spay or neuter an animal is $160 depending on the species, gender and weight of the animal. The average cost to shelter an animal (secure, house, feed, clean, medically care for, attend to the sentient and behavioral needs, market, adopt out or euthanize) ranges from $900-$2000
- States save money by funding robust and accessible spay neuter programs. Reducing the number of animals entering shelters reduces shelter operating costs and euthanasia rates over time
- New Hampshire launched a publicly-funded spay neuter program in 1994. Five years of investment (through 1999) resulted in 30,985 fewer cats and dogs entering shelters in the state than in the six years before the program began – greatly reducing costs. Furthermore, New Hampshire saw a 77% drop in shelter euthanasia over an eight year period and has since maintained one of the country’s lowest euthanasia rates. As a result of the reduced impoundment rate, the state saved $3.15M dollars even with the increased costs of subsidizing low cost spay and neuter programs
- Maryland While the number of overall intakes to animal shelters decreased by 1.3% from 2014 to 2018, the number of stray animal intakes decreased by 12.1%. The total number of live release animals went up 22.1%. This equates to an extra 10,667 lives saved across the state. The number of animals that have been euthanized due to the lack of space in shelters (the animals targeted by this program) decreased by almost 49.7%
- Access to Low Cost Spay Neuter in CA is a Myth Demand for low cost spay neuter services has long outstripped supply – demonstrating that Californians understand and have embraced the moral imperative to spay and neuter their 4-legged family members. Unfortunately these services are offered sporadically (primarily during work hours) or not at all. This in large part because shelters have to fund-raise for this purpose, which shortsightedly, is not central to their mission, and is difficult to do while contending with numbers of animals far above what those shelters were built to handle
- CA’s Two Minor Investment’s in Spay Neuter are Woefully Inadequate The California Pet Lovers License Plate program raises on average $250,000 a year and AB 1983 a bill that recently passed to reinstate the tax check-off program allowing Californians to donate their tax refund to spay and neuter programs is projected to raise a similar amount or less. Combined these two investments, raising roughly $500,000 per year – fall far short of the investment needed for a state the size of California
- The state’s one sided – manage animals only once they are here – approach to sheltering is fiscally irresponsible at best, tragically inhumane at worst, and is not yielding desirable results. Every year California vies with Texas for first or second place in highest shelter animal kill rate in the nation
$30M per year for 15 years is needed to solve California’s long standing pet overpopulation problem – a pittance compared to what we are paying for animals we have not had the foresight to prevent in the first place. We have the infrastructure of 153 shelters and numerous non-profit spay neuter clinics, many of which already partner with their local shelters, to flow these dollars quickly with no need to build costly new facilities. Our shelters excel at high quality, high volume spay neuter as do non-profit clinics devoted to this cause. The missing piece of the puzzle is adequate, ongoing funding.
CA Spay Neuter Fund By the Numbers
Community Support:
Conclusion:
Legislators committed to fiscal responsibility, while at the same time striving to represent the voice of the everyday Californian, cannot turn a blind-eye to this urgent, far more humane, moral imperative to stem-the-tide of unplanned animals flowing into overburdened shelters that are not adequately equipped to care for them.
Additionally, AB 595 included provisions for a statewide study to address overcrowding in shelters and develop strategies to reduce euthanasia rates. Despite initial success in advancing through the Assembly Business and Professions Committee, AB 595 DID NOT PASS the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Assemblyman Essayli emphasized the importance of giving adoptable pets the opportunity to find loving homes, citing the tragic case of Bowie, an innocent puppy wrongfully euthanized. Though the bill did not pass, its advocacy shed light on the need for reforms in animal shelter policies to prioritize animal welfare and adoption opportunities.
This year on February, 08 2024 Assemblyman Kevin McCarty introduced AB2265, which echoes similar provisions as previous failed legislation.
The bill mandates:
- That public animal shelters must provide lifesaving public notice before euthanizing an animal that is not irremediably suffering from a serious illness or injury.
- Additionally, it requires public animal shelters to prioritize spay/neuter resources to prevent the overpopulation of unwanted animals.
Given the rising number of pet intakes over the past 3 years and the increase in euthanasia rates for young, adoptable animals, it’s imperative that we support legislators who prioritize animal welfare. We must also encourage all legislators to advance proposed legislation aimed at addressing this issue through their votes.
Please reach out to your Legislators today and request their support for this crucial issue as their constituent.
Demand their support to advocate for appropriate allocations of public funds necessary for implementing these humane measures. Your voice can play a significant role in ensuring the humane treatment and welfare of animals in our communities.
News on this topic:
An assemblyman from California has introduced a bill aimed at safeguarding animals from euthanasia, ensuring that every adoptable pet receives an opportunity to be rehomed…
The suspense file hearing in the California Legislature, happening twice a year, determines the fate of numerous bills without public debate, leaving many bill authors and interested parties frustrated…
During the holiday season, it’s tough for shelters. Adoptions drop, and places like the Bakersfield Animal Care Center and the county pound are feeling the strain…