Shreveport City Council passes new law making pet owners spay and neuter cats and dogs

The Shreveport City Council voted into law Tuesday an ordinance that requires all cat and dog owners in Shreveport to spay and neuter their pets.

The law went into effect immediately and requires dogs to be sterilized by their first birthday while it requires cats to be sterilized at six months old. The council hopes it will address the city's overpopulation of stray dogs and cats.

The requirement will last for two years at which time the council will analyze the program's success and decide whether it should continue.

The council modeled their spay and neuter requirement after one adopted by the Caddo Parish Commission last year. Caddo Parish Animal Services will handle all costs related to the sterilizations so there are no new costs for the City of Shreveport or pet owners.

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Parish Commissioner John Paul Young told the council Tuesday that the Parish needs the city to adopt the ordinance if there is any hope of slowing down the aforementioned overpopulation because most of the Parish's pets are in Shreveport, which the commission does not legislate.

Pets that are found by CPAS to not be sterilized will be impounded and sterilized before being returned to the owners.

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: Shreveport adopts mandatory spay and neuter law for cat and dog owners