The Washington County-Johnson City Animal Control Center is pushing for a new law that would require animals over the age of six months to be spayed or neutered. Under the proposed ordinance, pet owners who choose not to spay or neuter their animals would have to obtain a permit to have an unaltered animal.
"The ordinance targets offenders and the population that is contributing to the taxpayer burden," Animal Control Center Director Debbie Dobbs said.
According to Dobbs, the animal shelter took in more than 8,000 animals last year. Dobbs says the shelter had to put down more than 4,700 of those animals.
"There is no logical reason for all of these animals to be born to people who want the right to have pets, but do not want to take the responsibility of these animals," Dobbs wrote in a letter to Johnson City Commissioners. "Spaying or neutering pets has been proven to stop aggressive behavior and the urge to roam or breed."
Geneva Warren, a member of the Greater Kingsport Kennel Club, isn't convinced. Warren says she is very worried about the proposed ordinance.
"(Similar ordinances have) had a terrible effect on legitimate dog owners in other parts of the country," Warren said.
According to Warren, she thinks it is unfair that legitimate and loving pet owners who do not want to spay or neuter their pets will be subject to intrusive and unfair laws and fines.
"We are 100% dealing with pet overpopulation through spaying and neutering," Warren said. "We are against mandatory. It's going to affect the responsible people also."
According to Dobbs, similar ordinances in Buncombe County, NC and the City of Asheville have been effective.
"They have seen a significant decrease in the number of animals entering their shelter and subsequently euthanized." Dobbs wrote in her letter.
Under the ordinances in North Carolina, the law is only enforced if another animal ordinance violation is discovered first.
"This makes enforcement fairly easy since officers are already on the scene for a complaint," Dobbs said. "Animal control does not respond to complaints of unaltered animals therefore the ordinance targets offenders and the population that is contributing to the taxpayer burden."
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