Caddo Parish to begin enforcing mandatory spay/neuter ordinance for dogs and cats Friday

Dog and cat owners in the unincorporated areas of Caddo Parish will be required to have their pets spayed or neutered starting Friday. The requirement will last for at least the next two years.

The Caddo Parish Commission adopted the requirement last year at the behest of animal rights activist in the area who say Caddo Parish Animal Services finds itself euthanizing a high number of abandoned pets each year.

“Caddo Parish Animal Services currently takes in between 4,000-5,000 animals each year,” read a statement from CPAS 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."

The requirement will apply to all dogs that are at least a year old and all cats that are at least six months old.

More: Should Caddo Parish require all dogs and cats be sterilized?

As of now, the requirement will end June 30, 2024, but may be extended depending on how successful the program proves to be.

Originally, the ordinance would have only applied to pit bulls, but activists and commission members said the Parish's cat problem is just as bad as its pit bull problem, spurring an amendment to the ordinance.

Caddo Parish Animal Services numbers show more pit bulls were euthanized by the Parish last year than every other type of dog combined. While pit bulls make up more than half of those killed at the pound, they only make up a quarter of those taken in – which Megan Everett, founder of Parish Paws, says is still an outsized number, but demonstrates how difficult it is to find new homes for stray pit bulls.

The requirement will not apply to pets that have a chronic health condition, pets registered with select pedigree and kennel club associations or owners with breeding or intact permits that are renewed annually.

Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts, and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Caddo Parish to begin enforcing mandatory spay/neuter ordinance July 1