California State Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, announced Thursday his bill to help reduce overcrowding at animal shelters across the state, by expanding access to low and no-cost spay/neuter services, will advance to the Assembly Floor after making it off of the Assembly Appropriations Committee’s Suspense File.

“Overcrowding at California’s animal shelters have been at crisis levels for far too long,” Wilk said. “One of the largest contributors to this problem is the shortage of veterinarians available to perform timely and efficient spay and neuter services. This bill is a much-needed first step toward addressing this crisis.”

Senate Bill 1233 (SB 1233) would establish a framework for California’s two accredited schools of veterinary medicine at UC Davis and Western University of Health Sciences, to create a first-in-the-nation High-Quality High-Volume Spay/Neuter (HQHVSN) certification program.

HQHVSN is a minimally invasive surgical technique that enables veterinarians to perform large numbers of spay and neuter procedures at low or no cost. A 2021 study from UC Davis estimated that 150,000 dogs and cats go unspayed or unneutered in California each year. As a result, approximately 100,000 animals are euthanized in shelters across the state.

“Our shelters, especially in the High Desert, are overwhelmed, and too many animals have lost their chance at a loving home through no fault of their own. We have a responsibility to fix this, and I look forward to getting this bill across the finish line,” Wilk concluded.

California State Sen. Scott Wilk represents the 21^st Senate District, which includes the Santa Clarita, Antelope and Victor valleys. You can learn more about Scott by visiting his website.