11/11/24 It is more cost-effective to subsidize neutering than to pay for sheltering abandoned animals!
Zagreb City Council offers subsidies for dog neutering, Slatina City Council offers it twice a year, and the Municipality of Lasinja covers the entire cost
- Calling on local government units and local regional units to secure funding for neutering in 2025 budget
The Zagreb City Council is the latest among the local and regional units to finance the neutering of owned pets. The Council has invited the citizens of Zagreb to use the opportunity and neuter their pets, by offering financial support in the sum of 75 euros for female cat spaying and 50 euros for the castration of males. Animal Friends Croatia have praised the city councils and municipalities which have financed the neutering of owned cats and dogs the previous years as well as this year, thus investing money in a particularly important and effective preventative measure.
The Animal Protection Act stipulates that counties must adopt a Programme for Control of Abandoned Dog Population, to prevent the growth and promote the reduction of the abandoned dog population. One of the effective measures for this purpose is subsidising the neutering of owned dogs. Financial assistance can be offered to specific categories of population, such as lower-income owners and retired persons, the cost of neutering can be covered partially or fully, or the both for spaying and castration can be priced equally, directly in dealing with the public or in cooperation with veterinary clinics or animal welfare associations.
“So far, neutering has proven to be the only humane and effective way of controlling abandoned cat and dog populations and subsidizing it has had a positive effect on local government units in the long run as such subsidies help reduce costs of sheltering abandoned animals. For this reason, we have sent letters to all units of local and regional self-government to remind them to secure funds in the 2025 budget to finance the neutering of owned cats and dogs which is the most efficient method of preventing unwanted litters that end up becoming abandoned animals,” state Animal Friends Croatia.
They point out that it is cheaper for local self-government units to pay for neutering than to care for unwanted and abandoned animals later. This has been recognised by city councils and municipalities that have been offering subsidies for owned cats and dogs, in the format that suits them best. Thus, for example, the Slatina City Council has financed 50% of the total cost of neutering for one dog or cat per owner twice this year, while the Municipality of Lasinja financed the full 100% of the cost.
“The offered financial assistance stimulates the population to neuter their cats and dogs. Local government units are obliged to finance the neutering of abandoned animals in shelters however this does is not categorised as subsidising the neutering of owned cats and dogs. Cities and municipalities offer to cover the costs of cat and dog neutering owned by a known carer to prevent their uncontrolled reproduction, as well as the cost of their sheltering,” explained Animal Friends Croatia.
The group invite all local and regional government units to secure funds for the neutering of owned cats and dogs, and the public to accept the offer and neuter their pets to significantly reduce the number of abandoned animals. The group also call on the citizens of Zagreb to make the most of this fantastic opportunity offered by the Zagreb City Council and meet their legal obligation of controlling their pet reproduction which has been in power since 2006.
For more information, read our brochure “Neuter Your Pet to Reduce the Number of Abandoned Animals.”
Animal Friends Croatia invite you to share the news among fellow citizens and use the opportunity to neuter their pets, with financial support from the Zagreb City Council.
