Commissioners agree to reopen spay-and-neuter grant with $5,000 pool for FY25

Deschutes County staff will reopen the county’s annual spay-and-neuter grant program for fiscal year 2024–25 with a $5,000 grant pool, the Board of Commissioners agreed Wednesday.

Jen Patterson, the county’s strategic initiatives manager, told the board the dog license contribution fund balance had risen to $4,374 and that the fiscal-year budget included $5,000 for grant awards. Patterson outlined options including awarding up to $5,000 this cycle, waiting for the fund to grow, or supplementing the program from general fund dollars (which had not been budgeted).

Commissioners discussed the program’s recent applicants and recipients. Patterson identified organizations that have received recent allocations, including Furry Friends Foundation, Humane Society of Central Oregon, Embers Bunny Rescue, Camp Companion Animal Medical Project, and Street Dog Hero. Commissioners indicated support for opening applications now with the $5,000 pool for FY25. They suggested application guidance and a suggested award range to help manage expectations—board members discussed a suggested application award window of roughly $250 to $2,000 and discussed a possible per-application suggested limit of $1,000, though the board ultimately asked staff to open the FY25 application process for a $5,000 total pool and indicated they would prioritize awards if demand exceeded funds.

County communications staff were asked to help promote the donation option on the dog license page to encourage small additional contributions that could help grow the fund in future years. Staff will publish the grant application and return to the board with applications received and award recommendations.