About NC Pet Project
Fighting to end animal overpopulation in North Carolina through affordable services and legislative action.
The Problem
North Carolina has a severe animal overpopulation crisis. The numbers tell the story:
Despite these alarming numbers, North Carolina's existing state spay/neuter program is critically underfunded. In 2023, the program funded just 5,855 procedures and reimbursed only $341,000 to local governments. That is a fraction of what is needed.
The state's main low-cost spay/neuter provider, SNAP-NC, is not currently accepting appointments. Rural eastern North Carolina is especially underserved, with vast stretches where affordable veterinary care simply does not exist.
Meanwhile, North Carolina's breeder regulations are among the weakest in the country. Only breeders with 5 or more fertile female dogs who sell more than 30 animals per year are required to register with the state. This means the vast majority of breeders operate with no oversight whatsoever.
Our Solution
NC Pet Project takes a three-pronged approach to solving the animal overpopulation crisis in North Carolina:
1. Direct Services
We connect low-income pet owners with affordable spay/neuter services through our voucher program and vet partner network. If you cannot afford the surgery, we help cover the cost.
2. Legislative Advocacy
We are pushing for three specific policy changes, modeled after what worked in other states:
- A statewide advocacy coalition to coordinate lobbying efforts across existing organizations, modeled after the Texas Humane Legislation Network
- An NC Animal Friend specialty license plate to create a self-sustaining funding stream, like Florida's program that has raised over $9 million
- An increase to the rabies tag surcharge from $0.20 to bring NC in line with states like New Hampshire ($1.75 per dog license)
3. Community Organizing
We build a statewide network of county-level volunteers who organize local events, connect pet owners with resources, and create political pressure for reform.
Proof This Works
Other states have shown that animal overpopulation is a solvable problem when the right policies are in place:
New Hampshire
Attorney Peter Marsh founded Solutions to Overpopulation of Pets (STOP) in 1991 and personally drafted RSA 437-A, which added a $1.75 surcharge to annual dog licenses to fund a Companion Animal Neutering Fund. He framed it as a public health measure (rabies prevention), not just animal welfare, making it politically palatable.
Results: Shelter killings dropped 78%, from 11,494 to 2,575. Over 70% of NH vets participate. New Hampshire achieved statewide no-kill status in 2021.
Florida
A coalition of the FL Animal Control Association, FL Veterinary Medical Association, and HSUS created the Florida Animal Friend specialty license plate in 2005. Each $25 plate funds spay/neuter grants with zero taxpayer dollars. The legislature also passed HB 719 in 2023, allowing out-of-state vets to volunteer for spay/neuter clinics to address the workforce shortage.
Results: Nearly $9 million distributed to date. Hillsborough County saw euthanasia drop from 23,827 to 504, a 97.9% reduction.
Texas
The Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN), a 501(c)(4) founded in 1975, spent decades building relationships in the legislature. They framed spay/neuter as a public health and fiscal issue, secured bipartisan sponsorship (Sen. Zaffirini, D, and Rep. Curry, R), and labeled their proposal a "pilot program" to lower political risk.
Results: A $13 million state appropriation in 2025, with grants of $50,000 to $500,000 going to shelters, nonprofits, and vet clinics. Applications closed within a month due to demand.
No-Kill Success Stories
Four states have achieved full no-kill status (saving 90%+ of shelter animals): Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Every one of them invested in accessible spay/neuter programs.
NC Already Has a Secret Weapon
The ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance (ASNA) in Asheville, NC is one of the largest high-volume, low-cost spay/neuter clinics in the country. Since 1994, they have performed over 566,000 surgeries and currently complete approximately 350 surgeries per week.
ASNA also trains an average of 250 veterinarians each year in high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter techniques, and partners with more than 45 animal welfare organizations across 44 counties.
The problem is that ASNA primarily serves western North Carolina. The eastern half of the state, especially rural communities, remains a "spay/neuter access desert." NC Pet Project aims to fill that gap.
Our Mission
To make affordable spay/neuter services accessible in all 100 North Carolina counties while driving the legislative reforms needed to solve this crisis for good: a statewide advocacy coalition, sustainable funding through a specialty license plate and increased state investment, and stronger breeder regulations.