Big Easy considers mandatory spay/neuter bill

New Orleans

-- Another municipal mandatory spay/neuter and breeding-restriction ordinance is under consideration, this time in New Orleans.

The New Orleans proposal would require all dogs aged 6 months or older to be spayed or neutered. Failure to do so would result in owners being required to purchase a $30 one-time breeder permit with an annual renewal fee of $20. The ordinance would not apply to cats, according to a council clerk.

City Council will consider the ordinance at its Oct. 15 meeting.

Mandatory sterilization proposals have popped up many times at the city and state level in recent years, but not many have been successful.

Los Angeles County and Albuquerque, N.M., have passed such laws, but a statewide forced spay/neuter bill in California was introduced and subsequently scrapped on two separate occasions, and an attempt at a similar ordinance in Florida failed earlier this year.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) voiced opposition to such laws, saying recently that "although spaying and neutering helps control dog and cat populations, mandatory approaches may contribute to pet owners avoiding licensing, rabies vaccination and veterinary care for their pets and may have other unintended consequences.” The AVMA instead advocates that governments develop effective population-control programs.