Shelter euthanasia numbers for both cats and dogs have been continually lessening since 2013 and they’re at an all-time low now. Shelter staff credits programs like Fix Long Beach and its sponsor, Hope for Paws, and Community Cat Shelter-Neuter-Return; social-media tools such as ACS’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages; public education by the Animal Resource Team; and the low-cost spay/neuter vouchers made possible by Friends of Long Beach Animals and other grants and gifts.

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In October 2015, mandatory spay/neuter and pet shop ordinances were brought into law. The spay/neuter ordinance mandates that all dogs under 6 months old living within city limits, with some exceptions, (details can be accessed here), be spayed or neutered—it has been a requirement for all cats to be fixed for several years.

Spay/neuter procedures aren’t cheap, and the cost is frequently what discourages pet owners who cannot afford them and causes them anxiety about the law as well as the possibility of their pets giving birth to young that they may need to take to the shelter. To lessen the financial burden, ACS’s spay/neuter vouchers will have an increased value of $75 for dogs and $50 for cats instead of the usual $30 amount, for the remainder of May. This means that the shelter will reimburse the participating veterinary clinics up to $75 for canine procedures and $50 for feline; the pet owner is responsible for the balance. A list of participating clinics is available here.

Additionally, the shelter has increased the total number of available vouchers this month to 400, with 200 each going to cats and dogs instead of only 50.

The vouchers may be picked up at the P. D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 East Spring Street in Long Beach (it’s advisable to call ahead at (562) 570-7387. The entrance is located in El Dorado Park; there’s no charge to park in the shelter lot. Only one voucher per household will be distributed; additional vouchers may be distributed upon request, with supervisor approval.

Proof of residency in Long Beach or in any of the shelter’s contract cities—Los Alamitos, Cerritos, Seal Beach and Signal Hill—is required; documentation such as a utility bill or a photo ID will be accepted.