We are in a relatively poor, rural community in North Carolina. I proposed instituting pet license fees, with a much-reduced cost for animals that are neutered. So far, the committee is not on board with this, despite the fact that other counties around us do this (as well as mandated licenses for breeding). Can anyone point me to data that supports this? I do believe it would increased motivation to neuter and we are also working on bring free or low-cost neuter services to the county.

The vast majority of people who don't spay/neuter their animals don't do it because they don't have access to it, logistically and/or financially. If you want to increase spay/neuter rates, you need to provide access and remove the barriers that prevent people from doing it. If there isn't currently free or low cost spay/neuter services available, what do you expect people to do? They simply won't bother licensing their pets. Implementing a fee when they can't afford spay/neuter in the first place isn't going to help. It will impose even more of a burden on them.

The vast majority of people who don't spay/neuter their animals don't do it because they don't have access to it, logistically and/or financially. If you want to increase spay/neuter rates, you need to provide access and remove the barriers that prevent people from doing it. If there isn't currently free or low cost spay/neuter services available, what do you expect people to do? They simply won't bother licensing their pets. Implementing a fee when they can't afford spay/neuter in the first place isn't going to help. It will impose even more of a burden on them.