A city in Georgia, USA, is two weeks away from voting on a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance (law). Some residents would welcome the ordinance being passed, yet others feel it’s an invasion of privacy and their civil liberties. Whether or not laws need to be introduced to make pet owners more responsible is a contentious matter. Many local authorities are debating it.
According to a June 12 report by WTOC News, Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Animal Control is proposing all animals in the city, six months of age or older, be spayed and neutered by January 16 or their owners be fined and taken to court.
Of course there are exceptions if the person can show they’re a licensed breeder, or if the operation would be dangerous to the animal’s health or if a person has a rare type of animal. The goal of Savannah-Chatham is to reduced “backyard breeding”.
Animal Control Supervisor, Christina Sutherlin, said another reason the city wants mandatory spay/neuter is to help out the many rescues who step up to help the community. Fewer unwanted litters mean fewer kittens and puppies a rescue would have to find homes for. Having spoken to several rescues in the U.S. personally, it’s a common agreement that rescues would like nothing more than to be put out of business because there are no unwanted pets. Taking control at curbing reproduction won’t eliminate the need for rescues, but anything to slow down kitten and puppy pregnancies would be welcomed by rescues.
It can be expensive to spay or neuter a pet, with private vet prices ranging from $200-$700. Hopefully the rescues and residents in the Savannah area have access to low cost spay and neuter programs, or some will spring up, should the ordinance pass. Cost is not the reason for opposition to the proposal by residents in the area who are against the ordinance being passed.
One residence believes the ordinance would be very restrictive and invasive, believing that responsible pet owners should have a choice on whether or not they wish to have their dog or cat sterilized, calling a mandatory ordinance an infringement on the owner’s rights.
Those in favor of the ordinance know that putting a legal stop to unwanted litters will only benefit the dogs and cats in their community. Not only are there simply not enough homes for the animals that go into the shelter, but a spayed or neutered pet has a better temperament.
Sutherlin goes on to say the city doesn’t want to get into breed specific legislation stating:
“All dogs bite, all cats can bite, we don’t want to get into breed specific legislation. We see bites from everything from Chihuahuas and Dachshunds, to St. Barnards, Huskies and everything in between.”
This three minute video from WTOC has more on the spay/neuter ordinance that may soon take effect.
As a writer, I’ve watched social media pages where countless litters of kittens and puppies are killed or euthanized in our nation’s shelters, either for lack of homes or for illnesses their tiny bodies just can’t survive (such as upper respiratory infections). I’ve watched rescues become overwhelmed because no matter how hard they try, not enough foster or permanent homes can be found. The financial expenses alone are overwhelming.
But should people be forced to have their animals spayed/neutered – should the ordinance be passed? Please leave a comment below on how you feel.
We had a free spay/neuter clinic for community or feral cats back in April. I took one in from where I work and spaying and vaccinations were totally free due to a Petsmart Charities grant. There were a dozen people there already when I left at 7:30 am. People really took them up on the offer. I was the only one there with a humane trap so I wonder whether people had their personal cats done.
I am sorry I made typing error. In Chicago the total number of homeless pets being killed in 1987 was 42,561!
Yes, definitely!
Let me tell you something in one of the cities of Illinois there are 9,817 homeless pets euthanized per year. In Chicago the total number of homeless pets being killed in 19897 was 42,561!All of these babies are the result of the overpopulation of so” called” unwanted pets. All this could have been avoided by spaying and neutering. Do you really want to see your kittens and puppies being gassed to death in some Kill shelters? Have I also mentioned that the same unwanted pets do end up in the medical research facilities? They die horrible, lonely, agonizing death there.
So, if you have heart for animals and any mind left, please SPAY/NEUTER your pets!
Maybe all American women should consider being spayed as well so less unborn children wouldn’t be murdered.
I am a RESPONSIBLE pet parent and I find the archaic practice of spay and neutering unfair when forcing RESPONSIBLE pet parents to do it. The people the government’s should go after are the irresponsible pet owners who blatantly don’t give a damn about their pet(s) nor their own responsibilities to that pet.
Irresponsible pet owners pets only serve as status symbols, money making machines or just property to severely abuse and many pets are just dumped alon g highways when they are no longer useful.
The government should just mind their own business and punish the irresponsible pet owners who are the real problem in this country.