The Palm Desert City Council Thursday evening unanimously approved allocating $50,000 annually from the city's animal services fund to cover the cost of spaying and neutering up to four animals per household at no charge to residents.
The new program eliminates the previous reimbursement model, which required residents to pay upfront costs and submit documentation for reimbursement. Since 2020, only 42 residents have used the old program, averaging about 10 per year.
"The reimbursement process, submitting receipts, forms and proof, is cumbersome and discouraging," said Daniel Hurtado, the city’s public safety analyst. "In contrast, when we distributed direct vouchers earlier this year, 90 vouchers were claimed within one week."
“In contrast, earlier this year, the city issued 90 direct use spay and neuter vouchers, and they were all claimed within one week.”
Mayor Evan Trubee, the city’s representative on the Coachella Valley Animal Campus Commission, said news of the program’s success was so well-received by other city representatives that the idea might soon catch on in neighboring cities.
"The more we can offer now, the greater the impact, and we can have less pets in the meantime, instead of dragging it on for many years and hoping people catch up.”
Under the new system, residents can obtain vouchers at the Palm Desert Library just by showing proof of residency. The vouchers are valid for 60 days and cover surgical labor, anesthesia, medications, pain management ,and microchipping. The average cost per animal is $220.
Residents present the voucher to Animal Samaritans at the time of service, and the nonprofit organization then submits monthly invoices to the city for completed procedures. There are no out-of-pocket costs unless residents choose optional services not covered by the program.
The program received strong support from the council, with members praising the approach for its simplicity and potential impact.
"What really struck me about this whole process is it was like an exercise in psychology," one councilmember said. "The same amount of money is devoted there, the same opportunity to get your animal spayed or neutered, you just flipped how they get reimbursed."
Councilmember Karina Quintanilla said the goal is to maximize immediate impact.
"The more we can offer now, the greater the impact, and we can have less pets in the meantime, instead of dragging it on for many years and hoping people catch up," she said.
The partnership is funded through a three-year agreement not to exceed $150,000 total, with no impact to the city's general fund.
“These funds come from an available balance in the existing animal services budget,” Hurtado explained.