Montgomery County's Office of Animal Services briefed the Public Safety Committee on Nov. 10 about a county-funded low- and moderate-income spay/neuter clinic that began a soft launch in February 2025.

Logan Anbinder said the clinic received $125,000 in startup funding in FY25. Residents are charged a reduced fee that staff described as approximately 25% of the service cost; Anbinder cited a rough range of $25–$50 for cats and $50–$125 for dogs, with OAS subsidizing the remainder. The clinic's species mix to date has been about 35% dogs and 65% cats.

Anbinder described the clinic's planned capacity as treating up to 10 animals every other week (bimonthly), but said actual performance as of August 2025 averaged about 4–6 surgeries every other week because of no-shows and scheduling constraints. To expand throughput, OAS plans to contract with a relief veterinarian who would staff concurrent rabies clinics, freeing the shelter's full-time veterinarians to focus on spay/neuter procedures.

Staff also said they are using open slots for trap-neuter-return (TNR) feline candidates when scheduled clients no-show, and that increasing foster capacity and volunteer recruitment would help shift animals into homes rather than shelter stays. Committee members encouraged staff to provide prioritized budget requests that would enable a planned expansion of services.

The committee did not vote on funding or staffing at the session; staff were asked to return with more detailed priorities and numbers to inform budget deliberations.