Published on September 02, 2025
Pittsburgh, PA — The City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety is pleased to announce the launch of the city’s redesigned Spay and Neuter Program. The restructured program, in collaboration with Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh, now offers two distinct applications—one for pet cats and dogs, and a separate one for community cats.
“The Department of Public Safety has been diligently working to restructure and expand the City’s spay and neuter program in an effort to best serve Pittsburgh’s residents and animal populations,” said Lee Schmidt, Director of Public Safety. “We are thankful for the patience of Pittsburghers as we’ve redeveloped this program over the last year and are excited to begin processing applications for residents.”
The pet spay and neuter program is specifically intended to serve city of Pittsburgh residents, while the community cat program assists registered trappers helping to control the city’s feral cat population. The revamped program is fully online and both applications are now open for eligible residents.
Each city of Pittsburgh resident is allowed to utilize the pet spay and neuter program by applying for a total of two pets in a calendar year—not to exceed a total of five pets in five years. Applicants should note that dogs and cats have different minimum requirements for approval and are encouraged to visit the city’s website for further information.
Individuals wishing to participate in the community cat program must register as a trapper through the city’s online application. Trappers are required to be city of Pittsburgh residents and certify that the cats are trapped within city limits and are intended to be re-released in the same area or into another colony within the city. Cats that are trapped with the intention of fostering/adoption may not use this program. Trappers will be allowed to apply in an ongoing open application for up to thirty cats in a year, with the possibility of additional slots being approved on a case-by-case basis.
Additional program information, including detailed instructions and criteria, and the online applications can be found on the City of Pittsburgh Animal Care and Control website, at: https://www.pittsburghpa.gov/Safety/Animal-Care-Control/SpayNeuter-Program.
Any additional questions about program eligibility and requirements can be sent to spayneuter@pittsburghpa.gov.
Emily Bourne Public Information Officer Public Safety emily.bourne@pittsburghpa.gov