Spay and Neuter Voucher Program to be Restarted by County Following Vote from Commissioners

About three weeks ago, officials at the Animal Coalition of Tampa received an email from Hillsborough County Animal Services notifying founders Linda and Frank Hamilton that their spay and neuter voucher program had been temporarily continued. 

“When we learned about the suspension, we felt betrayed.  Also shocked, but ‘betrayed’ is probably the most accurate description,” said Linda Hamilton.

ACT board members and clinic executives attended a budget workshop held by the Board of County Commissioners on Thursday afternoon to fight for their mission and the lives of countless household pets. 

At the request of Commissioner Ken Hagan, the Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to restart the program on July 1 to reach the target of 7,500 completed surgeries.

On average, 63 percent of vouchers are actually used.  This means that the county will have to issue approximately 12,000 vouchers to get 7,500 redeemed.  Currently, 5,726 have been cashed in.     

Although everything seems “okay” for the short-term, long-term budgets and logistics are still very much in question.

“All we know is that they will start program on July 1.  I don’t have any specifics right now on exactly how it will be implemented.  Our staff and clients are asking and we do not know all the details yet,” said Frank Hamilton.  “I’ll be meeting county officials over the weekend to discuss next steps. Budgeting for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 also need to be determined, and my hope is that this will all be sorted out within the next few days.” 

According to Jennifer Anderson, program director, approximately $300,000 is set aside for the voucher program.  Ultimately, no money would be saved by pulling the program because more animals would end up in Animal Services and it actually costs more to euthanize than to neuter.

“Budget workshops continue on a range of issues, and creative solutions are always being sought.  No one is giving up on animals or the community, certainly not those at the Hillsborough County Department of Animal Services,” said Marti Ryan, community and media relations spokesperson for Hillsborough County Department of Animal Services.

‘Giving up’ is a term that doesn’t exist in the Hamiltons’ vocabulary. 

“We, the public have to take a stance that it is not acceptable to kill animals because it’s the easy way out.  I am proud that ACT provides people with a forum to show their support and voice their opinion,” said Linda Hamilton.  “I will not stop until the people have been heard.  I will not stop until the public stops supporting this movement.  We will not quit until there is no more hope.  That message will need to come from the public, not the politics.  This is not about money; it’s about humanity.”

Patch reported a story on Thursday titled “”, which highlighted the budget constraints the county is facing in regard to their successful spay/neuter voucher program (SNVP).  Supported by dozens of veterinarians and clinics throughout the community, the initiative (which began on June 19, 2002) has helped saved the lives of thousands of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens throughout the community. 

Since its inception five years ago, the ACT Clinic performs an increasing number of sterilizations each year because of their affordable prices.  Five thousand spays and neuters were performed in 2006 compared to 12,000 in 2010.