Caddo Parish reenacted its spay-and-neuter ordinance on Aug. 8, 2024. The Caddo Parish Commission renewed the ordinance requiring owners to have pets spayed or neutered, a major part of reducing intake to local animal shelters.
The Commission unanimously agreed Thursday the 2022 legislation should be extended beyond its original two-year life span, though with some amendment. The ordinance outlines several exceptions to the rules. Caddo Parish Animal Services Director Travis Clark said in a news release the department takes in between 4,000 and 5,000 animals every year.
He said the ordinance will help keep those numbers down. “With the re-enactment of this ordinance, the goal is to humanely reduce the number of dogs and cats taken in by Animal Services, and to reduce any subsequent euthanasia as we address population control,” Clark said in a news release. The amended ordinance applies to all unincorporated areas of Caddo Parish.
The new ordinance requires pet owners to move faster to have their animals fixed. Now, dogs 26 weeks or older must be spayed or neutered to be in compliance with the order, down from 56 weeks or older in the previous ordinance, parish spokeswoman Krystal Beauchamp said in an email. Cats still must be fixed by 26 weeks.
Cats and dogs registered with officially-recognized pedigree or kennel club associations, such as the American Kennel Club or the American Dog Breeders Association, still are exempt provided owners can show annual proof of membership and participation in a show at least once a year at an event sponsored by those organizations. Animals whose health would be seriously or permanently affected by the spaying or neutering process are also exempt if their owners can show documentation from a licensed veterinarian. The ordinance now exempts sporting dog breeds used for hunting activities who are up to date on all vaccinations and wear tracking collars, Beauchamp said.
Animal establishment owners and those with breeding permits for intact females or intact permits for males, providing the animals are microchipped and a permit is obtained annually, are exempt. The honest escape exception clause, which was included in the previous legislation, has been removed. Those who violate the ordinance can be fined up to $250 and the cost of microchipping the animal.
If an appointment to have the animal spayed or neutered isn't made before 30 days following the citation, the owner can be cited again up to $500. The ordinance also makes illegal breeding animals and donating litters without a permit, Beauchamp said. The ordinance also requires those surrendering animals to the parish shelter to show proof they live in Caddo Parish, she said.
People from outside the parish may surrender animals for humane reasons, such as injury, at a fee of the average cost for the shelter's services. Animals adopted from the shelter must be spayed or neutered within three months of adoption, down from four under the previous ordinance, Beauchamp said. The spay-and-neuter legislation took effect immediately after it passed Thursday.
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