CITY HALL — THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL on Thursday voted to allocate $500,000 in the FY 2026 budget for the expansion of affordable spay and neuter services, in order to reduce the cat overpopulation that has overwhelmed shelters while helping out low-income cat-owners, the Council said in a release. The program will support 3,500 surgeries for rescue and Trap-Neuter-Return volunteers and pet owners, with the funds allocated to Brooklyn nonprofit Flatbush Cats .

“This new, fully funded $500,000 pilot program will ease overcrowding in our animal shelters and ensure New York’s incredible rescue organizations have the resources to continue their vital work effectively,” said Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan, a long-time champion of animal welfare legislation in his district of Bay

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