SPCA Tompkins tells county panel spay/neuter programs are reducing intake but rising costs squeeze services

SPCA Tompkins County representatives told the Tompkins County expanded budget committee on Sept. 15 that expanded spay/neuter and trap‑neuter‑return (TNR) efforts helped slow a multi‑year rise in shelter intake but that inflation and higher medical and staffing costs are straining the nonprofit’s budget. Jim Boudreaux, speaking for SPCA Tompkins County, described the group’s core mission and operations and gave 2024 service totals. Boudreaux said the SPCA “protects animals in Tompkins County as well as ... help[s] control the local pet population,” describing a program run in collaboration with the Maddie Shelter Medicine program at Cornell and other veterinary partners that provides surgeries, vaccines and identification (ear‑tipping) for feral and free‑roaming cats. He told the committee the program performed 275 spay/neuter surgeries on owned dogs, 1,030 on owned cats and 419 on feral/free‑roaming cats in 2024, and that the shelter rehomed 878 animals that year. He added that since February 2009 the SPCA has spayed or neutered more than 25,000 animals, including roughly 18,000 cats. The SPCA described operational changes to meet demand: additional surgical days (Tuesdays and extra weekdays when schedule permits), downtown wellness and vaccination clinics (including work at Asteri), and a substantial increase in TNR volume — 419 TNRs in 2024 versus 165 in 2023. Boudreaux said those efforts contributed to a modest reversal of the upward intake trend in 2024, with further declines into 2025. Asked about the agency’s budget, he said funding comes from a mix of program fees, individual donations and grants; he cited an ASPCA‑administered New York State population‑control grant the SPCA used (about $67,000 on the last grant cycle) to help low‑income residents and adopters. Committee members pressed on funding and needs. Legislator Randy Brown noted the SPCA lists about $233,000 annual cost for its spay/neuter/vaccination work; Boudreaux confirmed the organization relies heavily on community donations and said rising costs for medical supplies and staffing are the program’s greatest pressure. Boudreaux also told the committee that the contract amount proposed in the county budget appears to be the same as last year. No formal committee action was taken during the presentation. Looking ahead, the SPCA urged continued community and philanthropic support while continuing targeted outreach to neighborhoods that drive local intake, and highlighted the role of collaborative veterinary partners in sustaining surgical capacity.