$75 Million Pet Sterilization Edit
Contraceptives for Cats and Dogs

The Michelson Prize is a combination of $25 million for a safe, effective, non-surgical sterilant for cats and dogs along with $50 million for research into developing such a single dose sterilization technique. The key aim is to reduce the numbers of unwanted cats and dogs which have to be euthanized each year.

The funding is through the American charity, Found Animals founded by Gary Michelson who as a surgeon made his fortune from inventing spinal surgery devices.

This is an incredible sum of money eclipsing even Richard Branson’s offer of $25 million for a solution to climate change or the $30 million XPrize for getting lander on the moon.

Scientists have their work cut out for them as the single-dose approach rules out slow release contraceptive implants and must work in both male and female cats and dogs. The solution will require a truly innovative approach never tried before.