NYC Council allocates funding to help 'paw'-pulation issues
The new initiative will pay for 3,500 neutering surgeries. They say the goal is to help low-income pet owners and get cats off the streets.
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Some are calling a new pilot program a purr-fect idea to combatting cat population issues in New York City.
The New York City Council is allocating $500,000 in funding for the program at local Brooklyn nonprofit organization 'Flatbush Cats' to help cat overpopulation issues.
The new initiative will pay for 3,500 neutering surgeries. They say the goal is to help low-income pet owners and get cats off the streets.
Executive sirector of Flatbush Cats Will Zweigart says it should also help ease the overflow in shelters.
“There are an estimated 500,000 cats outside fighting to survive. And cats can reproduce really quickly. So this results in a lot of New Yorkers fighting really hard to keep their pets due to the cost of veterinary care," said Zweigart.
The New York City Council says it's the first time they're funding an initiative dedicated to animals. Zweigart says he hopes it's just the beginning.
“This funding could cover about 2% of the anticipated need. New York City needs around 190,000 affordable spay neuter surgeries every year. That just gives you a sense of the scope of the problem. We need to build on this in the future and eventually have nonprofit clinics like this in every borough," said Zweigart.
The NYC Council says Flatbush Cats will design a measurement to assess the impact of the investment and says it's a model for a program that could be implemented citywide.
