Directors amend animal ordinance, including mandatory spay and neuter

FORT SMITH — City directors unanimously approved revising the city’s animal ordinance with plans to amend and expand the voucher program for spaying and neutering cats and dogs soon.

Directors heard the proposed amendments and gave feedback during a study session March 14.

A memo to City Administrator Carl Geffken from Deputy City Administrator Jeff Dingman summarized the revisions, which include removing references to the Animal Services Advisory Board because the board has opted to review animal-related items on its own. It also removes references to annual pet licensing.

Dingman explained at a directors meeting in November the pet license was adopted a few years ago, but not implemented or enforced, which is why it’s removed in the proposal.

The proposal says a stray animal given to a shelter will not be released from the shelter or impoundment facility until it is micro-chipped and spayed or neutered. It also specifies animals must be vaccinated before they will be released, and the owner must show proof of vaccination in order to claim the animal. If the owner cannot provide proof, the facility will vaccinate the animal before release, and the owner will pay for it and the spay or neuter.

The city is working on a voucher system to help pay for animals to be spayed and neutered on a first- come, first-served basis. How many vouchers will be available is uncertain.

The adopted regulation adds a specification that dogs and cats having reached reproductive age must be spayed or neutered unless secured at all times on a leash or within a secured building, enclosure or yard. It also allows exceptions to the spay and neuter requirements upon certification by a licensed veterinarian that sterilization surgery is of significant health risk to a specific animal due to age or health condition.

At the director’s meeting Tuesday, Ramona Roberts, president of Friends of Kitties and Kanines, a board supporting the Kitties and Kanines Veterinary Clinic in Fort Smith, spoke against the amended ordinance as it is written. She suggested it be tabled until a committee of veterinarians and rescue workers can review the ordinance and make suggestions.

“The voucher item is the one I want to address most,” she said. “Vouchers are supposed to help these people, but we have an ordinance that has $75,000 in it, which would spay or neuter 1,500 dogs at Kitties and Canines that weigh less than 50 pounds. As the weight goes up, the price goes up. So if you have a family who has four dogs and they’re 60-85 pounds, they have to pay the difference in that.”

“Plus before they can even apply for the voucher, the way this ordinance is written, they have to already have a microchip and a rabies vaccination. At our clinic, that would be $40. I don’t know what it is at a full service veterinarians office, but I would feel like it might possibly be more. The people that we’re trying to really help, they don’t have $40.”

Ward 4 Director George Catsavis asked what’s wrong with passing the ordinance and amending it later.

Roberts asked when it would come back to be amended.

Geffken said when the city has the correct information needed to amend the ordinance and they have vetted everything that needs to be done.

“I think many of us feel like the comments you’ve made are valid, but I think it’s important that we start somewhere,” Ward 3 Director Lavon Morton said. “One of the points I was going to make whenever we get around to having director comments was that we have to put someone in charge of the voucher program who’s with the city or reports to the city and do some work on that very quickly to make sure it’s effective.”

Ward 1 Director Jarred Rego said he thinks there’s a sustainable five-part path to get the city out of its current animal situation of having a large number of stray animals. He said it will take time, but ultimately lead to a better state of affairs for both the animals and residents in the community.

Rego’s suggestions were to pass the spay and neuter ordinance and enforce it, increase the size and capacity of the city’s animal control, strongly enforce city ordinances related to animal control.

“Fourth — and very important to add, I think — would be to decide as a board if we have the leadership and decision making structure that we would like to see at the shelter,” Rego said.

“A shelter that’s largely subsidized by taxpayer dollars I might add. And five, expand the shelter size in order to accommodate the increase in animals we will experience.”