During FY 2022, Critters Without Litters contracted with the City to implement the City's first pilot Community Cat program. At the time, the City's Animal Care Center did not have an on-site veterinarian that can provide these services. The program showed success in reducing the City’s feral cat population. As a result, a Request for Proposals to continue the program was issued and responses were due July 29, 2022. Critters Without Litters was the only responsive bidder. Critters Without Litters is a local nonprofit 501 c(3) organization that provides high-volume, high-quality, subsidized companion animal sterilization and seeks to end the preventable euthanasia of healthy, adoptable pets in Kern County. Critters Without Litters aims to directly address the issue through high -volume, low cost spays and neuter services with the aim of reducing the number of companion animals entering shelters.
On August 31, 2022, the City of Bakersfield entered into an Agreement with Critters Without Litters to provide for cat spay, neuter, and vaccination services for the City's Community Cat Program. According to the ASPCA, a community cat is a term used to describe outdoor, unowned, free-roaming cats that can be friendly, feral, adults, kittens, healthy, sick, altered and/or unaltered. Community Cat Programs, traditionally known as Trap, Neuter, & Return (TNR), aim to reduce the community cat population through spay and neuter services and then returning cats to their outdoor home. The Community Cat Program has proven to be the most effective tool in reducing overall feral cat populations. The agreement included funding available to subsidize the cost of sterilization services provided to domestic/owned cats of City residents, in furtherance of the overall goal to reduce feral cat overpopulation and improve the health, safety, and welfare of the community.
The City has additional successful working partnerships with Critters Without Litters in a number of other programs, including the following:
- The low cost spay and neuter voucher program for dogs which provides $40,000 annually for 1,000 vouchers in the amount of $40 to defray the cost of the dog procedures. This program is administered by the Animal Control Division of the Bakersfield Police Department, with services provided by Critters Without Litters.
- Critters provides onsite pet care services once a month at the Brundage Lane Navigation Center, including vaccinations and initial checkup before a spay/neuter is conducted office. As part of the Community Cat Program, Critters Without Litters will offer a low-cost sterilization and vaccine package for community/feral cats at a cost of $60 per animal that includes the following: spay or neuter surgery, Feline Aral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia (FVRCP) vaccine, rabies vaccine, and a tattoo and clipped ear (ear tip) to indicate sterilization.
The proposed Amendment provides City reimbursement to Critters in an amount of $60 per service performed on community cats, up to a maximum amount of $150,000. Additionally, in order to further the success of the program and incentivize domestic/owned cat sterilization, Critters has reduced the cost of sterilization services to $25 for City residents who bring in their owned/ domestic cats. In turn, the proposed Amendment provides City reimbursement to Critters for $25 for each sterilization service performed on domestic/owned cats, up to a maximum amount of $60,000.
Critters will continue to be responsible for verifying City residency for use of the program, recording and reporting customer names and addresses when invoicing each month, and communicating with City staff on program progress.
The Amendment has been coordinated through staff in the City Manager' s Office and the Police Department's business office. Funding for this program has been budgeted into the Bakersfield Police Department's budget for FY 23-24 and will not require an additional appropriation.