Wash. County-JC Animal Control Center pushing for spay and neuter law
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Wash. County-JC Animal Control Center pushing...
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...
Nate Morabito/11 Connects
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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Reader Reactions
Sure, just keep finding more ways to FINE people and treat the symptom rather than the cause.
They want to control the pet population but let those nasty, dirty deer herds multiply unabated.
Duh !
I agree with you, patty107. Mandatory pet care classes would be a great idea. Maybe a breeder test should be assigned to those people who think they are ready to breed a litter too. They should be able to know all the health issues for their breed (which they should have tested their animals for to prevent continuation of the problem), history of their breed, and what to do in all emergency situtations. I think it is irresponsible pet owners that allow their animals to roam free that cause not only unwanted litters, but other problems like dogs killing their neighbors other pets, spread of rabies, dog attacks on people, destruction of the neighbor’s property, and unsafe conditions for the animal itself. An animal inside the home or kennel is not going to be hit by a car or shot by a neighbor, for example. Altering the animal won’t prevent any of these other problems. I think many owners think it is fine to let their dogs run when they are altered because they don’t have to worry they will be breeding, and I wouldn’t like to see more people thinking the same thing. I don’t appreciate other people’s animals coming to my house and getting my dogs riled up or tearing up my property.
What is a responsible breeder? That seems to be the question now. And who is a responsible owner?
I know what is not a responsible breeder. One that has a pure breed that breeds their pet the first chance they get, and every time after. Ones that breed without knowing anything about breeding, and just want extra income. People that never take their dogs to the vet. They barely go to the shot clinic to get regular shots.
Pet owners If you let your animals run lose in the neighborhood and your animal is not altered your asking for trouble. To think that you do not need to control your dogs at all times, even if it’s altered, and to think that you can let your unaltered male run because it’s not your problem.
It might be a better idea to make it mandatory to take pet care classes to the offenders of animal care.
If everybody would take care of their pets like they are suppose to then we would not need to be talking about more restrictions in our lives.
Are we losing our freedoms because we need to be more control, because so many people don’t do what they are suppose to?
That’s all I have to say.
I was just reading over some of the comments and I had to answer the poster who thinks there is no such thing as a responsible breeder,and remarked on the high cost of a purebred. When I was involved in showing and did some breeding, it cost far more to breed the litters I had than I could have earned even if I had sold the puppies I had. I bred those litters to have puppies for myself for continuation of the champion lines I had started so that didn’t happen. When you figure in the cost of showing (about $2000 per dog to attain championship on a good quality dog, more on one with some more noticeable faults), the stud service to the best dog for the female you have ($400 to $800 in my breed), vet visits, health testing for hereditary diseases, occasional c-sections, puppyshots and puppy vet visits, not counting the sleepless nights spent by the whelping box, and the work cleaning up after them, feeding and socializing them, and that is if all goes well. Puppies or the mother can get sick and run up huge vet bills in no time, especially since emergencies are usually discovered after hours and the extra night fees apply. A responsible breeder is someone who breeds to improve the quality of their breed which means usually attaining a championship to prove that the animal is high quality. A responsible breeder breeds animals that have had health testing for the issues that are known in their breed, such as hip displacia, and in my breed, juvenile cataracts. A responsible breeder breeds for good temperament, and always asks a person who may acquire any animal they have bred, to return that animal to them if ANYTHING should ever happen that they can no longer keep it. A responsible breeder also makes certain before a breeding takes place that there will be more than enough homes for any resulting offspring because, even if you plan to keep every one of them, there could be more than you expect. I never had that to happen; I had litters of one puppy several times, and never had more than three. The reason I am no longer breeding? I can’t afford to anymore. I was laid off the great job I had for 16 years and now, I have significantly smaller income. So, no not all breeders are in it for the money.
So, when someone’s animal dies because of a reaction to the anesthesia, is the county planning to reimburse the owner for the animal’s value? Many breeds are sensitive to being put under, and I have lost a valuable and much loved champion dog to the anesthesia once. The punishing of all people for some people’s carelessness and stupidity is one thing I have no tolerance for. In the 90’s and early 2000’s I was showing dogs for myself and for several people. I had as many as 25 dogs in my care, and NOT ONCE did I have an accidental breeding. It is possible to have an unaltered animal and not contribute to the animal overpopulation, believe it or not. You do not allow your pet to run at large, and if you have pets of the opposite sex, you do not house them together, it is simple. I now have a kennel of retired show dogs and I will not risk their lives to do unnecessary surgery on them because some animal control officer thinks that is the only way to keep them from reproducing.
I have no respect for Dobbs.
When my wife was a attacked and bitten she refused to have the animal checked for rabies. She said “you just have to trust people”.
Right. The dog was dead because I shot it. If it was her loved one would the dog have been checked. You bet it would.
Okay it would be a good thing to have more pets altered.I don’t like manatory but if they were not going to enforce it unless you have have a problem with Animal Control it might be not so bad. But if there is a law then after it’s past they can do what they want with it. And to make more money you knoe they will. What ifthey are callled on you and everything is all right, but your animal is not neutered will you pay a fee or the deed.
I have three dogs and two are spayed. The dachshund is three years old and has not been neutered or breed. He and the other dogs are with me all the time or crated when they are not. I have a male cat five years old that is inside/ outside cat. I can’t keep him in. He has been neutered since he was 6 mos. old. All dogs were homeless and not from the shelter. I am a responsible pet owner.
The thing is I don’t have the money to pay any fees if I decide not to get the dachshund fixed. I as everybody, has to pay this and that, until we don’t have anything left.
Now if the money went towards a no kill shelter that might be more agreeable. Since there will not be puppies and kittens there anymore. There will only be abused, lost, or just not wanted anymore. Couldn’t we handle THOSE animals with out EUTHANASIA.
In my opinion there is no such thing as a responsible breeder. If you allow your dogs to breed then you are the cause of the problem. I have never met a breeder that wasn’t in it for the money, period!!!!If you were not in it for the money you would simply ask for the cost of first shots and such, and let that be that, but breeders charge huge amounts of money for their dogs, so I will never believe that a breeder is only in it for educational purposes, or for the betterment of the breed.
“I KNOW she hasn’t had puppies in a long time. Also as a responsible owner/breeder, when she does have them she, “
“ I am the AKC Delegate for our local kennel club and do not breed dogs for money.“
Lets get it straight, either you add to the problem or you don’t. Have you in the past? If you have you actually have added to the problem. And lets face it, pet over population is a real problem. As the more intelligent species, it is our responsibility to make rules and laws that protect the things around us, but for some reason people want to fight it every step of the way. I for one am in support of the MANDATORY spay and neuter law. Yes, I am an animal rights freak, and I am very proud of that fact. We can never stop the breeding of dogs and cats, but as the more intelligent species on the planet we certainly can slow it up. Mandatory spay and neuter laws do work, you can google it. It is working in the UK and has worked very well where I am originally from. Like I said before, breeders do not have a problem paying for their license as they know that more people are going to come to them for a new pet because there are less animals in the shelters.
There will always be unwanted puppies and kittens, dogs and cats. There will always be a need for animal control and the animal shelter. But if the animal population is controlled,there will be fewer animals in the shelters and the shelters will be better able to care for the animals.
Just by the way. I too have spent money out of my pocket on vet bills, spay and neutering and such. I have had people call me and hand over registered dogs, because they simply do not want them any more. I have bottle fed kittens that were less than 2 weeks old and had been thrown into a creek in a cardboard box to die a slow watery death in November(3 out of 5 lived. I have nursed a 4 month old skin and bones pup with no hair back from the brink of death, to go into a healthy happy adult dog. So let me say I speak from experience. I know what I have seen and I know there is alot worse out there, the only way to slow it up is to stop the uncontrolled breeding. The only way to do that is make spaying and neutering MANDATORY. That is my OPINION, attack me for it again if you want, but I will always stand by it.
BJ, I can say that I do not agree with you in anyway. You first say you are wanting to make extra income, and now you are stating it is for your kids educational benefit. Please! They have shows on Animal Planet and Discovery channels that show the process, in a nature environment. I do not agree that you are a responsible breeder. A responsible breeder breeds for the benefit of the breed, not for the money. Most of the reputable breeders actually break even or in some cases loose money doing so. You do not have intentions of your pups being an asset to the breed.
Second, yes I am an “animal rights freak”, and I am proud of it. I know for a fact I take care of my animals very well. Do not tell me that I do not. I do not shelter my animals at all. They have a very full, active, healthy lives. I am sure that my dog gets more exercise and socialization that yours ever do. Say what you may.
Third, I do wish pet stores that sell dogs would go out of business. They only sell puppy mill dogs that have not had proper care, socialization, and love. That is a whole different topic that I will not start on.
In conclusion, I am not an idiot. We are not here to call people names, but you have clearly showed yourself to be very uneducated whether you are speaking of dogs having “sex” which they do not, they mate. Only humans have sex. Or if your grammar is lacking in many aspects. You have your opinion, I have mine. I guess that is what makes the world go around.
this type of law is not authorized by the Constitution.
it only jeopardizes or freedoms we do not need it
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