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Spay-Neuter Program asks Natchitoches City Council for $10,000 to Replenish Vouchers
Summary
Spay Natchitoches, a division of Fauna, told the Natchitoches City Council it has exhausted local voucher funds and requested a $10,000 city allocation for fiscal 2025–26 to continue low-cost spay/neuter services for residents.
Spay Natchitoches, a program run by Fauna, asked the Natchitoches City Council on May 12 for a $10,000 city allocation for fiscal 2025–26 after the program ran out of locally available voucher funds.
The request came during the meeting’s public comment period from Debbie Tebbetts, who introduced herself as representing Spay Natchitoches, a division of Fauna. Tebbetts said the parish had already allocated $10,000 in its 2025 budget but that the city fund is exhausted and that, “we request $10,000 allocation for the city of Natchitoches for the 20 25 26 fiscal year.”
The ask is tied to Spay Natchitoches’ voucher-driven program to help residents who cannot afford sterilization for companion animals. Tebbetts said Spain Natchitoches funds are kept separate from other Fauna accounts and are used solely to provide vouchers to community members. She provided program statistics to the council: since Oct. 1, 2024, Fauna’s trap-neuter-return (TNR) program had paid to spay or neuter more than 162 community cats at a cost of $10,469, and Spay Natchitoches covered 165 spay/neuter procedures in the first quarter of 2025 totaling $13,590, of which $10,000 came from the parish allocation and the balance from private fundraising.
Tebbetts told the council vouchers have been unavailable since April 1 because the Spay Natchitoches account is depleted. She framed the request as a public-cost question: unspayed animals contribute to higher intake at the city shelter, and spay/neuter is the program’s favored preventive approach. Tebbetts also noted Fauna currently cares for more than 100 animals in its shelter and foster system and that Fauna’s operating funds — separate from Spay Natchitoches — cover spay/neuter costs for animals in Fauna’s care.
Mayor Ronnie Williams Jr. and council members thanked Tebbetts for the presentation and asked staff to place the request on a future agenda for formal consideration. No formal motion or vote on a city allocation occurred at the May 12 meeting.
Spay Natchitoches said it typically operates four low-cost clinics each year and runs multiple parish-wide pet health fairs; Tebbetts said 80–90% of fair attendees request spay/neuter vouchers. The council was provided a packet of program materials during the meeting.
