Notification of Temporary Suspension of Issuance of Animal Population Control (APC) Voucher
Effective Date : August 1, 2009

New York State has a long and active history of dedication to protecting the welfare of animals.  T he New York State Animal Population Control program was initiated in 1996 to provide payment of spay/neuter surgeries performed on dogs and cats adopted from approved shelters.  In 2006, the program was expanded to reimburse veterinarians for surgeries performed on pets owned by individuals receiving public assistance.  Since its inception, the program has paid for over 88,000 surgeries. 

Funds for the program are generated primarily through a $3.00 surcharge on all licenses issued for unspayed or unneutered dogs in New York State.  Unfortunately, payments out have exceeded monies entering the program fund   At the present time, the fund is nearly out of money and the Animal Population Control program is not currently issuing vouchers. Currently, t here are 8, 100 unredeemed vouchers in New York State. These assigned vouchers have an expiration date of 10/1/2009, and will need to be submitted by veterinarians for payment within 60 days from the date of surgery. If money is not immediately available in the fund, vouchers will be paid in the order they are received. Payments will be made for any qualifying surgery done for an animal with a valid voucher.

When the current outstanding vouchers have been paid, applications for vouchers will be issued to residents of counties that have a surplus of monies in the fund.  Applications from other counties will begin to be processed when monies from those counties starts to accumulate in the fund again.  Please feel free to contact the Department of Agriculture and Markets at 1-888-203-8527 if you have any questions or concerns.

In 1995, the New York State Animal Population Control Program was enacted into law. Through the NYS Animal Population Control Program (APCP), eligible persons adopting a dog or cat from an approved SPCA, humane society, municipal shelter or dog or cat protective association may have their animal spayed or neutered for only $30.  In the first 10 years of the program over 60,000 low cost spay and neuter surgeries were done. In 2006, the law was amended to include the spaying and neutering of dogs and cats  owned by people public assistance for only $20.

Benefits of the Animal Population Control Program
Spaying or neutering your dog or cat is beneficial to both you and your pet. It is recommended that the surgery be performed before six months or the first heat cycle (whichever is earlier) because

• your pet's life expectancy is increased and their disposition generally becomes more gentle and affectionate;
• spaying a female helps prevent uterine infections, such as pyometra, and mammary cancer;
• neutering a male helps reduce the risk of cancer, prostate disease and hernias; and
• You save at least $8 on your annual New York State dog license fee.

Reducing the pet overpopulation is beneficial for every community as hundreds of thousands of cats and dogs are euthanized or suffer as strays every year. Furthermore, anytime a municipality seizes a stray dog, there are expenses for the taxpayers, such as sheltering the animal or even euthanizing it.
Funding Sources for the Program
There are four sources of funding for the NYS Animal Population Control Program.

• The $3.00 surcharge on dog licenses for each unneutered and unspayed dog over the age of 6 months (including dogs licensed on a purebred dog license);
• $35 from unclaimed deposits from mandatory SPA Neuter Law.
• $20 of the $25 annual charge for the "Love Your Pet" custom license plate.

[Click for information on ordering the plate.]

• Public and private donations. Please make checks payable to NYS Ag. & Markets/Animal Pop. Control Fund and send to

Animal Population Control Program
NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
10B Airline Dr
Albany NY 12235-0001

Eligibility Requirements
            To be eligible to receive a low-cost spay or neuter surgery for your dog or cat, the following requirements must be met:

• The owner shall be a resident of New York State and
• The owner shall submit proof to a veterinarian participating in the program in the form of an adoption agreement that their dog or cat was adopted from a pound, shelter, duly incorporated society for the prevention of  cruelty to animals, humane society or dog or cat protective association within New York State or
• The owner shall provide proof of their participation in at least one of the following:

1. The federal Food Stamp program;
2. The federal Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind and Disabled program;
3. The federal Low Income Housing Assistance program;
4. The State Family Assistance Program;
5. The State Safety Net Assistance Program;
6. The State Program of Medical Assistance;
7. The State Food Assistance Program.

 
Or
Animal Population Control Program
NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
10B Airline Dr
Albany NY 12235-0001
Or
(888) 669-0870.

• The owner will fill out the application and submit it to the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, Division of Animal Industry, 10 B Airline Drive, Albany, NY, 12235
• The department will process the application and send a voucher to the owner with a list of participating veterinarians in their area
• The owner will take the Voucher to an approved veterinarian and pay the $20.00 co-pay fee to the veterinarian at the time of surgery.
• If the veterinarian requires certain pre-surgical immunizations, the charge to the owner may not exceed one half of the lowest cost which is charged to a private client.
• The veterinarian will perform the surgery and complete the Voucher.
• The voucher is sent to the Division of Animal Industry for reimbursement. After the voucher is verified, the veterinarian will be reimbursed at the rate of 80% of the difference between the veterinarian's approved fee and the $20.00 owner co-pay.

Eligibility Requirements for Animals Adopted From Shelters
To be eligible to receive an Adoption Voucher Agreement for a low-cost spay or neuter surgery, the following requirements must be met:

• the dog or cat must be adopted from an approved SPCA, humane society, municipal shelter or dog or cat protective association within New York State; and
• the adopting owner must be a resident of New York State; and
• the dog or cat cannot be imported into New York from another state

Animal Organizations Eligibility Requirements
   No resident, otherwise qualified,  shall be entitled to participate in the low cost spay/neuter  if  the  animal  to  be  spayed  or  neutered

• was imported or caused to be imported from outside the state;
• was  adopted  from  an  otherwise qualifying pound, shelter, duly  incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty  to  animals,  humane  society  or dog or cat protective association which included the cost of  a spaying or neutering procedure in the cost of the adoption;
• was spayed or neutered by an otherwise eligible  veterinarian  who  is  employed by otherwise qualifying pounds, shelters, duly incorporated  societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals, humane societies  or  dog  or cat protective associations except to the extent that they shall  have performed spay/neuter procedures in excess of the  number  of  such  procedures  done upon animals adopted from such facility during nineteen  hundred ninety-four; or
• was  adopted  from  any facility that as a condition of adoption,  required or encouraged the utilization of  a  specific  veterinarian  or  veterinary  facility  to  perform  such  spay  or  neuter procedure. The  establishment of such conditions by a facility shall constitute  grounds  for the disqualification of such facility to participate in the program. 

Program Procedure for Animals Adopted From a Shelter
A person adopting a dog or cat from an approved shelter will receive an Application for an Adoption Voucher Agreement.

• The owner will fill out the application and submit it to the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, Division of Animal Industry, 10 B Airline Drive, Albany, NY, 12235
• The department will process the application and send a voucher to the owner with a list of participating veterinarians in their area
• The owner will take the Voucher to an approved veterinarian and pay the $30.00 co-pay fee to the veterinarian at the time of surgery.
• If the veterinarian requires certain pre-surgical immunizations, the charge to the owner may not exceed one half of the lowest cost which is charged to a private client.
• The veterinarian will   perform the surgery and complete the Voucher.
• The voucher is sent to the Division of Animal Industry for reimbursement. After the voucher is verified, the veterinarian will be reimbursed at the rate of 80% of the difference between the veterinarian's approved fee and the $30.00 owner co-pay.
• The shelters will submit to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets all unredeemed spay & neuter deposits (not less than $35.00) for the spay & neuter deposits collected that go unclaimed on a quarterly basis (Article 26: 377A).

Veterinarian Eligibility Requirements
Veterinarians may qualify to participate in the NYS Animal Population Control Program by meeting the following requirements:

• A NYS licensed veterinarian;
• Submit a Veterinary Practice Application including the canine and feline spay and neuter fee schedule to the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, Division of Animal Industry, 10 B Airline Drive, Albany, NY, 12235. The Department reserves the right to deny applications for veterinarians whose fees are deemed unreasonable.

Further Information
For additional information, contact the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, Division of Animal Industry at (888) 669-0870.