Animal Friends is offering Pittsburgh pet owners free spay and neuter services after the city scaled back a similar program.

The Ohio Township-based nonprofit on Thursday announced the “Short Term Fix” spay and neuter program, which will provide free spay and neuter surgeries to dogs and cats owned by Pittsburgh residents. The program also will cover stray or feral cats.

People can apply for the services online through the Animal Friends website.

A $50 refundable deposit is required to reserve a spot in the program, but it will be refunded after the surgery, according to the Animal Friends website. Applicants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.

It was not immediately clear how many pets Animal Friends would spay or neuter through the free program, which is supported by the Margaret Raphael Foundation.

This comes after Pittsburgh officials in February 2024 abruptly halted the city’s free spay and neuter program, which allowed residents to receive such services for their pets at Animal Friends or Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh.

Public safety officials said suburban pet owners were abusing the program, using fake Pittsburgh addresses to receive free spay and neuter operations for pets living outside the city. Officials did not provide evidence of widespread issues in the program.

After animal welfare groups spoke out against scrapping the program, Pittsburgh reinstated a limited version to fund spay and neuter services for only stray or feral cats.

City leaders last year said they planned to extend the program to pets again, but with new rules to curb misuse.

The city’s website shows it is currently accepting applications only for stray and feral cats, not pets.

Animal Friends in a social media post announcing its free program said the city’s pause left people without affordable options.

“Local shelters, including Animal Friends, are overwhelmed — and we’re stepping in to help,” Animal Friends wrote in the post.

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