The Walloon Government has adopted, at second reading, the draft decree on the grant scheme for municipalities in the area of animal welfare. This adjustment aims to address the growing challenge of feline overpopulation in Wallonia and provides for an exceptional budget of €200,000 in 2025 to support municipalities in their efforts to sterilise stray cats.
A targeted and pragmatic measure
The Government has decided to grant a subsidy of up to €1,500 per municipality, intended to cover expenses incurred between 1 July and 30 September 2025 for the surgical sterilisation of stray cats carried out by a vet.
Part of the Animal Welfare Strategy 2024-2029, this initiative pursues several objectives:
- Protect public health, by reducing the risk of disease spread and nuisances caused by stray cats;
- Improve animal welfare, by reducing stray behaviour, suffering and excess mortality;
- Support municipalities that are particularly affected by summer saturation and rising costs.
The Government has announced that a structural and lasting review of the overall support mechanism for municipalities will take place from 2026, in order to increase the effectiveness of the measures and ensure sustainable support for them.
For Adrien Dolimont, Minister-President of Wallonia and Minister for Animal Welfare: “With this exceptional support, we are giving municipalities additional means to effectively manage this recurring issue. Sterilising stray cats is an essential lever for animal welfare, but also for public health and citizens' quality of life. Our aim is to make this support lasting from 2026 onwards, so as to provide structural support to local authorities.”