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Bill > A5145
NJ A5145
NJ A5145Appropriates $150,000 to Department of Community Affairs for Atlantic County Animal Shelter one-year cat spay-and-neuter clinic.
summary
Introduced
12/16/2024
12/16/2024
In Committee
12/16/2024
12/16/2024
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/12/2026
01/12/2026
Introduced Session
2024-2025 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill appropriates an additional $150,000 to the Department of Community Affairs to be provided to the Atlantic County Animal Shelter for a one-year, free spay-and-neuter clinic to contain the county's cat population and protect public health. Feral cats proliferate in New Jersey due to a lack of effective spaying and neutering management. Cats are often abandoned, stray from their owners, or roam unsupervised, reproducing and contributing to undomesticated colonies. The Office of Veterinary Public Health in the Department of Health reported that cats accounted for more than half of the animals impounded and nearly 80 percent of the animals that were euthanized in the State's animal shelters in 2017. Spaying and neutering pets are proven ways to reduce pet overpopulation and euthanasia rates. For every dollar spent on spaying and neutering, $13 are saved in future control, shelter, vet, adoption, and euthanasia costs - a more than tenfold cost savings. Spaying and neutering is a preventative, cost-effective, and humane approach to animal care and control, reducing costs to county governments and nonprofit organizations for impounding and euthanizing animals. This supplemental appropriation for the Atlantic County Animal Shelter for a one-year clinic would facilitate the county's health and animal population control measures.
AI Summary
This bill appropriates $150,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Community Affairs specifically for the Atlantic County Animal Shelter to establish a one-year pilot spay-and-neuter clinic. The bill authorizes free spay, neuter, and vaccination services for participants, with the goal of controlling the local cat population and addressing the broader issue of animal overpopulation in New Jersey. The funding is intended to help reduce the number of stray and feral cats, which currently represent a significant burden on animal shelters, accounting for more than half of impounded animals and nearly 80 percent of euthanized animals in the state. By providing these services at no cost, the bill aims to implement a preventative and cost-effective approach to animal population management, potentially saving substantial future costs related to animal control, shelter maintenance, veterinary care, and euthanasia. The appropriation is additional to the existing annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and the act will take effect immediately upon passage.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee (on 12/16/2024)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A5145 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2024/A5500/5145_I1.HTM |
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