San Antone...post MS/N

Is the implication here that people are dropping the dogs off because they don't want to pay to have them spayed or neutered?

Tena

The implication here is...that the reasons for too many dogs or cats being surrendered, or running at large in a given area are many...not singular. And assuming it is a one reason issue...and passing laws based on those assumptions...is not always going to make a jot of difference in intake numbers or euthansia rates.

In this particular situation I see the shelter's new "no kill" policy as the catalyst for an increasingly bad situation.Refusing drop-offs will only lead to people releasing dogs in rural areas or handing them over to unscrupulous people.

As for mandatory spay/neuter,I wish the government [ federal,local,or state] would simply make the surgery tax deductable.This would make a huge difference in my opinion.

Tena

4HAND

As for mandatory spay/neuter, I wish the government [ federal,local,or state] would simply make the surgery tax deductable.This would make a huge difference in my opinion.

With my local government the standard dog license costs $72 per dog per year, but those that are spay/neutered it's $24 per dog per year, and also if your unemployed or retired from work it's $12 per dog per year. So one might say the dogs that are spay neutered get a tax deduction, and also if your unemployed or retired you get more of a tax deduction. Failure to have your dogs licensed there is a fine of $220 per dog, and our animal control officers do go around knocking on doors. Our dog licenses and fines pay our animal control officers wages and pays our local government shelter running costs where we really do not need any charity or ASPCA or HSUS shelters.

There are many stray dogs producing puppies in San Antonio as well as pets that are not spayed or neutered adding to the unwanted population.  Unwanted dogs get dumped in the parks, school parking lots, and edges of the city. Right now there is NO fee for a city pet license IF it is spayed/neutered, is microchipped, and has been vaccinated.  All of this must be proved by a certificate from a vet and then Animal Care Service puts the info into the data base.  Starting in 2009 it will cost $50.00, if I remember correctly, to license an intact pet.  I doubt if that's going to help the situation much. Spays and neuters can be gotten quite cheaply in SA.  Every weekend there is pet speutermobile at a grocery store location so people can get it done at a reduced price.  Not the same place, but different locations throughout the city. Just show up with the pet and it is first come first serve.  They advertise in advance to not give food or drink after 10 p.m. the night before.  There is an organization in the city that will give monetary assistance if needed.  Some low income people can even qualify for it to be done free. Microchipping can be done for $7.00 when Animal Care Service has monthly clinics.  Low cost vaccinations happen frequently at Wal-Mart parking lots.  I think people here are either ignorant or lazy about this issue.  Cruelty abounds in SA as well.  Just this past week a lady heard a pup crying in distress and discovered a 7 month old chihuahua mix puppy hanging by her neck in a tree.  She got it down and took it to Animal Defense League (no kill shelter) where she is also being treated for lacerations and mange.  A dachshund pup was also brought in to ADL last week, and he has burns on his back.  Again a kind person found him and brought him in.  There are only two cruelty investigators in SA. 

In contrast, it costs $3 for my spayed female and $8 for my unspayed 6 month old female[getting spayed in three weeks].Only proof of rabies vaccination [every three years] is required to get a license and it is tacked right on to my property tax bill.I can't say we have the type of problems other places have. We have a large well funded Humane Society that brings in dogs from other places to meet adoption demands.Some of the dogs have been there as long as four months.It is considered by those I know [even if they are not dog people] shameful to relinquish an animal.Most here would opt to place an ad and try to rehome the animal for a small fee.Dogs up for rehome in the paper are snapped up quickly unless they are asking several hundred dollars.Cats onthe other hand.....huge overpopulation problem in my area.

Tena

 Another factor, I suspect, is that once a pet is impounded as a stray? If that pet isn't spayed or neutered (or you can't provide proof - and some shelters require proof even on male dogs, which is DUMB), it costs more to get them out. Can the SA city shelter provide S/N on site? If so, how much does t cost?

 I'd argue that people who are letting their pets roam at large aern't responsible to begin with, but fines don't solve the problem. Education solves the problem. When it becomes cheaper for irresponsible people to just dump the existing dog and get a puppy free from the paper or Craigslist and go back to their old habits? They'll do that.