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Shelter officials aim to fix pet overpopulation problem with new proposal

By Brad Hicks
Press Staff Writer
bhicks@johnsoncitypress.com

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It’s a proposal that is aimed to help “fix” irresponsible pet owners and, if passed, reduce the number of animals brought into and euthanized at the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter.

Shelter officials intend to present a pet overpopulation ordinance to the Johnson City Commission for consideration at its Nov. 5 meeting. The proposed ordinance states than any person residing within the city owning, keeping, harboring, or having custody of a dog or cat more than 6 months of age is required to have the animal spayed or neutered unless the person holds a permit allowing them to keep the animal unaltered. This permit requirement will also apply to breeders. Animal Shelter Director Debbie Dobbs said officials have not yet determined what the cost of this permit will be.

“What we’re trying to get away from is the irresponsible breeding, the breeding from people that either can’t afford to have their animals spayed or neutered or just don’t care about having their animals spayed or neutered, bringing us litter after litter after litter during the year,” Dobbs said.

Dobbs said the ordinance would be enforced when animal control officers are responding to other calls or complaints, such as animal bites or neglect. Animals involved would be checked at that time to see if they are spayed or neutered. If it is not, the person owning or keeping the animal will have 30 days to comply with the ordinance, otherwise they will have to pay a penalty and obtain the unaltered animal permit. Also, if an animal is brought into the shelter by animal control, it must be spayed or neutered before it can be released.

“We’re not going door-to-door, knocking on doors to see if your animal is spayed or neutered,” Dobbs said. “We think it should take the tax burden off of the responsible pet owners and put it on the irresponsible pet owners.”

Since 2000, Dobbs said the shelter has taken in approximately 50,600 animals. Of those, around 17,700 have been adopted, while nearly 29,600 have been euthanized. The remaining animals were reclaimed by their owners.

Ideally, euthanasia is supposed to be used for injured animals, sick or elderly animals or vicious animals, Dobbs said. It is felt the ordinance would reduce unnecessary euthanization.

“We’re using euthanasia as a population control,” she said. “Euthanasia was not meant to be a population control. Spaying and neutering is a population control.”

State law says that animals adopted from humane societies, pounds and shelters must be spayed or neutered. However, neither Johnson City nor any other city in the state has an ordinance in place such as this to address spaying and neutering of other animals, Dobbs said. She is hopeful that if it is passed here, other cities across Tennessee will follow suit.

“My favorite phrase for this is ‘let’s be the pioneer in the state of Tennessee,’ ” Dobbs said. “There’s not a municipality in our state that has a spay/neuter ordinance right now.”

Dobbs said she understands that some could have difficulty affording having their animals spayed or neutered, but she said assistance, such as a low-cost spay/neuter application through the Washington County Humane Society, is offered.

The proposed ordinance is similar to one enacted in the city of Asheville and Buncombe County, N.C., in 2003. Dobbs said since that time, officials there have seen a reduction in the numbers of animals coming into shelters and those being euthanized.

Aside from serving as a population control, Dobbs said spaying and neutering also reduces the risk of certain types of cancer in animals, lessens their likelihood to roam, deters aggression and provides for a longer life of the pet.

While she expects both positive and negative feedback over the proposed ordinance, Dobbs said she feels the shelter has strong support from the city commissioners. If the ordinance is passed in Johnson City and feedback is generally positive, then the proposed ordinance would likely be brought before the Washington County Commission for its consideration, she said.

“I don’t think they should unload the overpopulation onto animal shelter workers, animal control workers to have to take on the burden of euthanizing all these healthy, unwanted animals because either we don’t have enough space or we have too many animals, mainly too many animals,” Dobbs said.