City Council animal welfare caucus urges $4M for pet food pantries and increased spay/neuter funding

Harvey Epstein, chair of the New York City Council’s Animal Welfare Caucus, opened a public rally by saying rising costs are forcing New Yorkers to give up family pets and urging the council to secure new budget money for pet food assistance and spay/neuter programs. “About 6,000 families in New York give up their pets every year because they can no longer afford it,” Epstein said.

Speaker Julie Menin and caucus members outlined specific budget requests and legislative steps aimed at preventing those surrenders. Menin said the caucus is calling for $1 million to support free or low-cost spay and neuter services and for $4 million to establish a pilot pet food pantry that would purchase, stockpile and distribute pet food through a citywide network of providers. “We in the City Council are advocating for additional investments that would alleviate the financial burden impacting pet owners,” Menin said.

Advocates and rescue organizations who spoke at the rally reinforced the push with local data and personal testimony. Michelle Gomez of the ASPCA said affordability is now “one of the greatest threats to animal welfare,” citing ASPCA research that nearly six in 10 pet owners are concerned about veterinary costs and an estimate that about 200,000 pet-owning households in New York City live in poverty. Wills Weigard of Flatbush Cats said that roughly 70% of cats and dogs entering shelters have not been spayed or neutered, and urged the council to shift funding toward prevention to reduce intake and shelter crowding.

Several council members expressed support for larger investments. A vice chair of the caucus argued for a $5 million combined investment in spay/neuter services and pet food assistance, and co-chair Council Member Shahana Hanif reiterated backing for municipal funding and the need to complement volunteer efforts with stable city resources.

Community groups described how pantries and pop-up clinics operate on the ground. Heidi A. Cohen of Bronx Dog Haven described a pantry that serves tri-state residents and said pantries allow families to keep pets at home. Volunteer feeders and rescuers described the burdens of unpaid work and rising personal costs; one volunteer said she spends “$700 to $1,000” a month on food. Tanya Copeland of Bronx Community Cats said her group has fixed more than 5,500 cats since 2020 but still sees a large unmet need.

Speakers also noted a package of five bills the caucus introduced, called the SCOOP Act, described as focused on safe and clean outdoor ownership practices, community cleanliness, and support for dog owners. Brian Shapiro, New York State director for Humane World for Animals, pointed to precedent for government support: since 2017 the state has invested $48 million in a Companion Animal Capital Fund to support shelter infrastructure.

The rally concluded with organizers saying they would continue pressing council leadership as budget negotiations proceed; no formal votes or council actions were recorded in the event transcript. Organizers urged inclusion of the requested funds in the city budget to reduce shelter intake, prevent surrenders and support low-income pet owners.