LA City Council Increases Critical Spay & Neuter Voucher Amount–Funding Cap Threatens Impact

Decision exacerbates LA’s costly animal issues amid painful budget year

The Los Angeles City Council voted yesterday to raise the city’s free spay and neuter voucher amounts for the first time in a decade—from $70 to $120 for cats, and from $125 to $195 for dogs. While this long-overdue increase is a step to better align voucher values with today’s veterinary costs, the total funding available to fulfill them remains insufficient. As a result, fewer vouchers will be distributed overall, undermining the city’s ability to curb pet overpopulation and relieve pressure on overcrowded animal shelters.

There is an urgent need to address this issue, and fully funding the city’s voucher program is the first step to do so. Tens of thousands of pets in Los Angeles remain unsterilized, with each potentially contributing to five or more unwanted animals entering the shelter system. This costs taxpayers an average of $40 per day per animal over a typical 20-day stay. The City of LA intakes nearly 42,000 animals per year.  

“While we respect the difficult budget decisions faced by the City Council, their decision against fully funding LA’s spay and neuter voucher program represents the continuation of a solvable, incredibly costly crisis for Los Angeles,” said Jana Brennan, Program Manager for Michelson Center for Public Policy (MCPP) Spay and Neuter Initiative. “As fewer pet owners can afford spay and neuter services and more unwanted litters crowd our shelters, animals continue to suffer, and the city foots the rising bill. Increasing access to affordable spay and neuter services is a proven method for getting to the root of these crises. MCPP remains committed to working with city leadership to support sustainable, fiscally responsible solutions that benefit pets, families, and the city as a whole.”

The Council restored $5 million to the Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) budget, but the department has repeatedly warned that its baseline $30 million budget is inadequate to meet demand. LAAS is expected to monitor and report monthly voucher spending, but without a sustained funding commitment, this approach places further strain on an already overstretched department and risks delivering only a temporary fix to a long-term crisis.

The Michelson Center for Public Policy (MCPP) is a 501(c)(4) organization advancing legislative change through strategic collaboration with policymakers, advocacy organizations, and civic leaders. Focused on education, equity, justice, medical research, and animal welfare, MCPP complements the work of Michelson Philanthropies through bold, effective advocacy.