Mandatory shelter pet sterilization bill means higher taxes, more euthanasia

This is the Bonham animal shelter. A new shelter is
scheduled to begin construction soon. Photo
courtesy Michele Crouse / Super K-9

Texas Senate Bill 1845 and it's identical companion House Bill 4277 require most owners to spay or neuter their pets. However, little has been said about the section that requires shelters to spay or neuter dogs and cats prior to adoption. The lack of public awareness of this mandate belies its potential to reduce shelter adoption rates.

Current state law requires shelter dogs and cats to be sterilized within 30 days of adoption or when the animal is of age. The shelter may require the adopter to sign a contract promising to have the animal spayed or neutered. Some shelters include the surgery in the adoption fee and give the new owner a voucher to redeem at a private clinic.  

The new bill reads "....a releasing agency may not release a dog or cat for adoption unless the animal has been sterilized..." The contract option is removed, and the only exceptions are for puppies and kittens under six months of age, medical reasons, and service animals. 

This bill comes with no funding for surgeries.  Shelters are not allowed to release intact animals to rescue groups, who could then sterilize the animals with private funds before adopting them out. 

It's difficult to imagine a scenario where this will not cause fewer adoptions and more deaths, especially for older puppies and adult animals, which are already difficult to place.

The Bonham animal shelter lists the pay for a part-time animal control officer as $7.27/hr.  Bonham, as illustrated by the above photo, does not have the funding or facilities for an in-house clinic. It is highly unlikely that Bonham's tax base of only 10,000 people would support paying outside veterinarians to perform surgeries. Veterinarians in this area cannot be expected to schedule free or nearly-free surgeries. Most veterinary clinics in this rural area are modestly equipped mom-and-pop outfits who still do large animal farm calls, a low-paying and labor-intensive business.

There are thousands of towns like Bonham throughout Texas.  Most cities in Texas are facing drops in sales and property tax revenues and are cutting all but basic services. Charities are having difficulty picking up the slack, since donations are down. If this bill passes, all but the wealthiest cities will have few options:  Raise taxes, raise adoption fees to cover the cost and price the shelter out of the local market, or euthanize all animals over six months old. 

A city shelter must find three things necessary to sterilize all animals prior to adoption: 1) Funding for surgery 2) Clinics willing to do the surgeries, hopefully for a reduced rate 3) Personnel to manage the appointments including pre-and-post op care and 4) Personnel and vehicles to transport the animals to and from the vet.

With the possible exception of the most desirable small-breed dogs, surgeries will not be scheduled until a family selects a pet for adoption.  The family, who might be planning the new arrival to coincide with time off work or a special occasion, may balk at a delay. They might pass over an older puppy or kitten and select one under the 6 month age limit, or give up and go to the classified ads or local flea market. If the family agrees to wait, the dog or cat must remain at the shelter until a surgery can be scheduled.

Surgery appointments will not be available immediately. Private vets have limited surgery slots and must honor their other clients' appointments.  In the meantime, animals that have already been adopted occupy cage space and reduce the capacity for homeless animals.  Rescue groups will no longer be able to pull an animal within hours, but will have to wait days or weeks.  It's senseless to have adopted animals contribute to overcrowding and disease, and therefore to more animals being destroyed for lack of space.

The primary purpose of the city animal shelter is to protect the public, and that is the extent to which they are supported by tax revenue. Some are virtually no-kill, while the 'dog pounds' of old unfortunately still exist in communities both large and small. Most fail to adopt out animals faster than they come in.   For Texas' overcrowded public shelters, this unfunded mandate will result in fewer adoptions and more needless deaths.

Read the text of SB 1845 or HB 4277.