The Moreno Valley Animal Shelter was awarded a $15,000 grant to provide residents with financial assistance to spay and neuter their dogs and cats. The grant was awarded by the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) as part of its Animal Homelessness and Cruelty Fund. California taxpayers contribute to the fund by donating all or a portion of their state income tax refund.
Grant funds can be used only to spay and neuter dogs and cats owned by residents, and cannot be used for animals impounded at the Animal Shelter. The City is developing a spay-neuter voucher program funded by the grant.
The hopes of this grant is to hopefully maintain and control the pet population to avoid an overpopulation of stray dogs and cats. Spaying and neutering pets also helps to avoid an increase in overcrowding among animal shelters across the city.