West Virginia spay and neuter program seeks funding as $4 million grant ends

More than 98,180 dogs and cats in all 55 counties have been spayed or neutered through West Virginia’s spay and neuter assistance program since 2018, according to a release shared by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Now the program faces a funding gap as a $4 million Mug-Z-Moo Foundation grant cycle nears its end.

Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt has asked Governor Patrick Morrisey for discretionary funds to help keep the program going. Its advisory committee backed the request, according to the release.

Advisory committee members Jenny Dinsmore and Theresa Bruner wrote the release. It gives neither the amount requested nor an end date for the grant cycle.

The department administers the West Virginia Spay Neuter Assistance Program, which reimburses local governments and nonprofits for services. Its funding comes from registration fees paid by pet food distributors doing business in West Virginia.

“The program has added $5,200,000 to the economy without one tax dollar, which is a win win for West Virginia,” Leonhardt said in the release.

The release says a procedure without assistance can cost more than $600. It describes voucher waitlists filling quickly and clinics booking months ahead, with a reach that includes Monongalia, Monroe, Wood and Randolph counties.

The Fix’Em Clinic operates the Charleston Regional Spay Neuter Center and serves pet owners from nearly one-third of the state’s counties, according to the release.

“When cost is no longer the barrier, people show up—often traveling hours—because they genuinely want to help control the community cat population but simply need an affordable way to do it,” Fix’Em Clinic Executive Director Rachel Burgess said in the department’s release.