Latest plan for Pittsburgh pets would make dog spays, neuters free for low-income residents

Pittsburgh officials want to change the rules for a program that offers free spay and neuter services for cats and dogs.

Only low-income residents would be eligible for free spay and neuter services for pet dogs, Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said. Previously, there were no income limits on the program.

People who qualify for government help like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will be able to access free spay and neuter operations for dogs.

There will not be income requirements for people with pet cats.

“With the current budget for the program, we have to be cognizant of how many animals we can really do in a year and prioritize cats because of how they breed and that they’re more commonly outside, whether they’re owned or not owned,” Schmidt said.

Among other updated guidelines for the program:

• People will have to submit forms attesting that they live in the city and the pet receiving care also lives in the city.
• Dogs must be licensed to a Pittsburgh address.
• Animal control officers will periodically check with people accessing the program to guard against misuse.
• Each household can have no more than two pets spayed or neutered through the program per year, though there will be allowances made for pets with litters of puppies or kittens that need to receive such services at the same time.
• Trappers who are using the city’s spay and neuter program for stray cats must live in the city, be registered to trap cats and attest that the cats were caught in the city and will be released in the same area.
• Trappers will be able to get up to 30 free spays or neuters annually, up from the five currently permitted per trapper.

The program earlier this year had been paused amid claims that suburban pet owners were using fake addresses to access the taxpayer-funded service intended only for city residents. Officials have not provided details about the scope of the alleged misuse.

The city later reinstated a limited version of the initiative, offering free spays and neuters only for feral cats.

City Council in a preliminary vote Wednesday unanimously supported a proposal for new contracts with Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh to perform the work from 2025 through 2027. Contracts for spay and neuter services for pets and strays would cost the city a combined $70,000 each year.

Council is expected to take a final vote on the measure next week.