February is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month in California, and CDFA partners in the effort with its Pet Lovers License Plate Grant Program, which is funded through the purchase, renewal, or transfer of Pet Lover’s specialized license plates through the DMV.
Funds from the program are awarded on a competitive basis to municipal and non-profit veterinary facilities that offer low-cost or no-cost animal sterilization services. From 2019 to 2021 CDFA has averaged 10 awards for these activities, totaling $330,000 annually.
CDFA is in the fourth year of administering this grant program — it has supported thousands of animal sterilization surgeries. Despite challenges from COVID-19, the program provided financial support to spay or neuter 9,188 California dogs and cats in 2020, the last full year for which statistics are available.
