Spay/Neuter Program

The City of Pittsburgh Spay and Neuter Programs for 2025 are now open to applications for verified residents of the City.  Two separate programs, for pets and community cats, have been established this year working with the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh shelter.  Annual funding for each program is a set amount and once that limit is reached, no further applications will be approved in that calendar year.  Please read carefully the criteria and documentation required to determine eligibility for either one.

The Pet Spay & Neuter Program

Each resident is allowed to apply for a total of two pets in a calendar year, not to exceed a total of five pets in five years.  Dogs and cats have different minimum requirements for approval.

Applicants must provide copies of the following documents by uploading them where indicated in the application:

Cats: 

  • Two recent bills or other official mailings that include applicant’s name, City residential address and date. 
  • A government-issued ID with a City of Pittsburgh address.
  • Rabies/FVRCP are recommended prior to surgery, however, are not required. If not vaccinated, the cat will be vaccinated at time of surgery.

In addition, when scheduling the appointment with HARP, they will require that:

  • All purebred cats and brachycephalic cats have a pre-surgical exam through HARP.
  • All cats 7 years or older have a pre-surgical exam and a baseline bloodwork panel performed through HARP.

Dogs:

  • Two recent bills or other official mailings that include the applicant’s name, City residential address and date. 
  • A government-issued ID with a City of Pittsburgh address.
  • Proof of financial need by providing a recent MyCompass Account (MCA) Summary. If you are low-income and cannot provide this, other documentation may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
  • Vaccination records: All dogs must be fully vaccinated for Rabies, DHPP, and Bordetella prior to surgery at HARP.
  • A current City of Pittsburgh dog license.

In addition, when scheduling the appointment with HARP, they will require that:

  • The dog must have a pre-surgical exam within 6 months of surgery. If 7 years or older, the dog must have a pre-surgical exam through HARP.
  • If the dog is a brachycephalic or a high-risk anesthesia patient (i.e. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Doberman Pinscher, Boxer), the dog must have pre-surgical exam through HARP.
  • All dogs 7 years or older must have a baseline bloodwork panel performed through HARP.
  • Vaccination records: All dogs must be fully vaccinated for Rabies, DHPP, and Bordetella prior to surgery at HARP.

Pet Spay & Neuter Program

Community Cat Program

If you would like to participate in this program you must register as a trapper through the online application.  Trappers are required to be City of Pittsburgh residents and certify that the cats are trapped within City limits and are intended to be re-released in the same area or into another colony within the City. Cats that are trapped with the intention of fostering/adoption may not use this program. If the eventual owner is a City resident, they can apply for the Pet Spay & Neuter Program. Trappers will be allowed to apply in an ongoing open application for up to 30 cats in a year with the possibility of additional slots being approved on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants must provide copies of the following documents by uploading them where indicated in the application:

  • Two recent bills or other official mailings that include the applicant’s name, City residential address and date. 
  • A government-issued ID with a City of Pittsburgh address.

Once accepted as a trapper, cats can be added to a personal application by accessing it through the link in the approval email received and going to the List of Cats for TNR tab.  The shelter will receive this update and reach out for a new appointment.

Trapper Application

Questions about program eligibility and requirements can be sent to spayneuter@pittsburghpa.gov.

last updated: 10/28/2025

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