BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Animal rescues across Kern County are raising concerns as funding for critical spay and neuter services begins to dry up. With no clear replacement in sight, many organizations are scrambling to find alternative solutions while pet owners are left facing longer waits and rising costs.

On a recent morning at Heritage Park, a line of cars stretched through the lot as pet owners waited for the SNIP Bus—a mobile, low-cost spay and neuter clinic. Among them was John Johnson, a Bakersfield resident hoping to have his two dogs fixed.

“Bakersfield has a problem. It’s stray dogs, stray cats—everything is running around the east side of Bakersfield,” Johnson said. “My family lives there, and you actually have dog gangs.”

Johnson says the shortage of veterinarians and

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