Parish wide spay/neuter ordinance to go into effect July 1

caddocreativeParish of Caddo, Press Release

PARISHWIDE SPAY/NEUTER ORDINANCE GOES INTO EFFECT JULY 1

 

Caddo Parish, LA – Parish wide spay/neuter legislation passed by the Caddo Parish Commission, designed to reduce the number of intakes and euthanasia of animals in Caddo Parish, goes into effect July 1.

The ordinance, which was adopted by the Commission in 2021, requires most dogs and cats within Caddo Parish to be spayed or neutered.

 

“Caddo Parish Animal Services currently takes in between 4,000-5,000 animals each year,” said Caddo Parish Animal Services Director Travis Clark. “With the passage 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,” said Clark.   “The ordinance is not designed to punish residents.  Our initial goal is to make sure we provide education to our citizens on the details of the ordinance and the impact of spaying and neutering on the pet population,” says Clark.

 

The new spay/neuter ordinance applies to all unincorporated areas of Caddo Parish to dogs that are at least 1 year old (52 weeks or older) and cats that are at least 6 months old (26 weeks or older).   The ordinance does provide exclusions under the following conditions:

 

  1. Any dog or cat that is registered with the officially recognized pedigree/kennel club associations (American Kennel Club, American Dog Breeding Association, etc.), providing that the owner can provide annual proof of membership and participation in show at least once a year in events sponsored by the organization.

 

  1. Animals with a chronic health condition or disease whose health will be seriously or permanently affected by a spay/neuter procedure, providing that the owner provides official documentation by a licensed veterinarian.

 

  1. Animal establishment owners as well as those who have breeding permits (intact females) or intact permits (males), providing that these animals are microchipped and that the permit is obtained annually.

 

The Parish will monitor the effects of this ordinance on the animal population.  The ordinance takes effect on July 1, 2022 and will sunset June 30, 2024 unless reenacted as a permanent ordinance.

 

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