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Animal welfare advocates hope a program approved by the Texas Legislature will help reduce the number of stray dogs and cats across the state.

The measure will fund a pilot program for low-cost spay and neuter services.

Francesca Chillino, government relations assistant for the Texas Humane Legislation Network, said thousands of dogs and cats go to shelters each year.

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"They're also very often unfixed and unvaccinated, which means that they are continuing to reproduce and they are spreading diseases amongst themselves," said Chillino. "Some of these diseases are also transmittable to humans, things like rabies or leptospirosis."

Lawmakers also approved a bill enhancing the Animal-Friendly License Plate Program. Additional fees for the specialty license plate will go toward funding spay and neuter initiatives.

According to the National Library of Medicine, Texas shelters took in approximately half a million dogs in 2023.

Members of the network will meet with shelters, veterinarians and rescue organizations to determine how to operate the program.

Chillino said they hope this is the first step to ending pet overpopulation across the state.

"We are really hoping that this program is going to provide a lot of relief for the shelters and the rescues of Texas," said Chillino. "More spay and neuter means less unwanted litters and we're hoping that will, over time, lower the amount of dogs and cats who are being taken into these shelters."

The $13 million program will be operated by the state health department. Texas has more than 670 sheltersacross the state and almost 1,200 rescue organizations.