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The department shall promulgate rules and regulations to establish and implement an animal population control program within one hundred eighty days from the effective date of this section. The purpose of this program shall be to reduce the population of unwanted stray dogs and cats thereby reducing potential threats to public health and safety and reducing the costs of caring for these animals. This program shall seek to accomplish its purpose by encouraging residents of the city of New York who are the owners of dogs and cats to have them spayed or neutered by providing no or low-cost spaying and neutering services to such owners. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to establish an animal population control program including, but not limited, to creating clinics or mobile units where such services shall be performed and establishing criteria for pet owner eligibility to use such services. Indicia of eligibility for pet owners seeking no or low-cost spay and neuter services shall include but not be limited to any criteria deemed acceptable by the agencies performing the services. The commissioner may solicit and accept funds from the animal population control fund established pursuant to section 17-812 of this chapter and any other public or private source to help carry out the provisions of this section.
1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the city comptroller and commissioner of finance a fund to be known as the "animal population control fund" which shall be used by the department to subsidize the city's animal population control program as established by section 17-811 of this chapter.
2. Such fund shall consist of all moneys collected from the animal population control program established pursuant to section 17-811 of this chapter, all moneys collected for the additional fee charged for a license to be issued or renewed for an unsterilized dog pursuant to subdivision three of section two of chapter one hundred fifteen of the laws of eighteen hundred ninety-four, that portion of any penalties assessed under section three of such chapter due to be paid to such fund, and all other moneys credited or transferred thereto from any other fund or source pursuant to law.
3. Moneys of the fund shall be made available to the department and shall be expended for the purposes of carrying out animal population control programs pursuant to the provisions of section 17-811 of this chapter. Moneys shall be paid out of the fund on the audit and warrant of the city comptroller and approved by the commissioner. Any interest received by the city comptroller on moneys on deposit in the animal population control fund shall be retained in and become part of such fund.
a. In addition to the fees required pursuant to chapter 115 of the laws of 1894, as amended, any person applying for a dog license shall pay twenty-five dollars and fifty cents for any dog four months of age or older that has not been spayed or neutered unless an owner presents with the license application a statement certified by a licensed veterinarian stating that he or she has examined the dog and found that because of old age or other reasons, the life of the dog would be endangered by spaying or neutering.
b. Fees collected pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be directed to the animal population control fund established pursuant to section 17-812.
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