The New Orleans City Council was set to consider a proposal today aimed at pushing more local dog owners to get their pets spayed or neutered.
"It's not intended for the person who is a responsible pet owner," said Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrel, who is sponsoring the proposal. "It's really intended to give some teeth, so that the SPCA can help reduce the dogs that are roaming around, and the owners are not taking responsibility."
Listen to Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell talk about the proposal:
The Councilwoman says the proposed new statute would require pet owners who choose to leave their dogs "intact" pay a $20 fee to the city.
Hedge-Morrel says the proposed statute is also meant as a major fund-raiser for the local office of the SPCA in the face of a very tight city budget.
She told WWL First News that she made significant changes to an earlier proposal, which would have mandated the "fixing" of most dogs in Orleans Parish,
Under the current proposal, Hedge-Morrell said that no dog owner would be mandated to have the dog undergo the sterilization procedure, but would have the choice of whether to have the dog remain "intact" by paying the $20 fee.
The proposal was scheduled for a vote today, but Morrell says because of the proposed fee it must first be advertised to the public before the council can vote. It was withdrawn from the agenda late Wednesday night.
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