A new ordinance was passed in a unanimous vote Thursday night in Idaho Falls, Idaho that will require cat owners to license their cat if the cat isn’t vaccinated, chipped and altered.
Idaho Falls Animal Control Officer Laramie Pancheri stated in an interview with East Idaho News,
“(The ordinance) will give us more cats that are accounted for. We’ll know where they belong (and) that they’re actual pets as opposed to just the wild stray ones running around.”
Licensing dogs has been around for years but cat owners weren’t required to obtain a license. The only difference is a cat license will need to be obtained yearly instead of once every three years and will expire December 31 of the year purchased.
Any unspayed/unneutered cats who end up twice in the same year at the shelter will have to be altered before they’re released to the owner.
The cost for spayed/neutered animals is $10 and $30 for unaltered ones.
Perhaps it would be good to suggest having the animal altered before it leaves the shelter after being in the FIRST time and have a lost cost or free program in place to take care of the surgery and other vetting.
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Yep, spay/neuter first, then rehome. This legislation has to be a step in the right direction. I wonder if it will encourage responsible guardianship of cats, I hope so.