BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Animal rescues across Kern County are raising concerns as funding for critical spay and neuter services begins to dry up. With no clear replacement in sight, many organizations are scrambling to find alternative solutions while pet owners are left facing longer waits and rising costs.
On a recent morning at Heritage Park, a line of cars stretched through the lot as pet owners waited for the SNIP Bus—a mobile, low-cost spay and neuter clinic. Among them was John Johnson, a Bakersfield resident hoping to have his two dogs fixed.
“Bakersfield has a problem. It’s stray dogs, stray cats—everything is running around the east side of Bakersfield,” Johnson said. “My family lives there, and you actually have dog gangs.”
Johnson says the shortage of veterinarians and rising veterinary costs have made mobile services like the SNIP Bus essential.
“There’s a long wait time—like two months just to get into a vet,” he explained. “And the cost? It starts out low, but it builds up as you go.”
Budget Shortage and Rising Demand
Animal advocates took those concerns to City Hall during a recent Bakersfield City Council meeting, concerend about the proposed 2025-2026 fiscal year budget for lacking dedicated funding for spay and neuter programs.
Robbie Miller, founder of SOS Dog Rescue, was among those speaking out. He called on the city to match his organization's $100,000 contribution to keep the services going.
“We need the Bakersfield city government to come up with $100,000 to match SOS Dog Rescue’s $100,000 so we can provide spay and neuter services for Bakersfield residents,” Miller said.
Miller’s rescue has helped spay or neuter more than 25,000 animals, significantly reducing the stray population. But he warns that without continued funding, that progress could be undone.
“At this moment in Kern County, there are too many dogs and not enough homes,” he said. “We need to fund spay and neuter services to slow the numbers down so shelters can get to a manageable population.”
City Responds
In response to public concern, the City of Bakersfield released a statement acknowledging that past funding was made possible through one-time resources in 2022.
“At that time, the City entered into a one-time agreement with the SNIP Bus to give an additional boost to our spay/neuter efforts,” the statement reads. “There was no contractual agreement that the funding would continue past the initial investment.”The city says it is now working to form a committee called the Critters Coalition, aimed at securing grants and exploring new funding avenues for animal services.
A Growing Burden on Pet Owners
In the meantime, community members like Johnson say the burden is falling unfairly on residents.
“They’re coming out of their own pockets to do this. They shouldn’t have to,” he said. “It’s actually on the owners, yes, but they’re stepping up. Why can’t the City of Bakersfield do the same?”
As the debate over funding continues, many local rescues worry that a lack of support could overwhelm shelters and undo years of progress in controlling the county’s stray animal population.
You can find low-Cost Spay/Neuter Services by click here for more information on upcoming SNIP Bus events and other pet care resources in your area.
For more information about SOS Dog Rescue you can click here.
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