By Joyce Peng
All dogs and cats in Pasadena at least six months old must be spayed or neutered or have an exemption beginning July 1.
The annual license fees for dogs might increase beginning July 1 as well. The proposed increased licensing fees are pending approval by the City Council as part of the budget process for fiscal year 2016. The City Council will vote on the proposed licensing fees sometime in June, according to Pasadena Public Information Officer William Boyer.
If the increased fee amounts are approved, dog owners who apply for the annual license will have to pay $16.16 for spayed/neutered dogs and $76.16 for unaltered dogs. The current license fee rate for spayed/neutered dogs is $16.15 and the rate for unaltered dogs is $32.28.
Under the city’s new mandatory spaying and neutering ordinance, certain pets can be exempted, such as law enforcement dogs, pets that will be in danger of suffering from serious bodily harm or death when spayed or neutered due to age or infirmity, service dogs, show or competitive pets, or pets used for breeding. The exempted dogs are not subject to the unaltered dogs’ fees.
To get your dog or cat spayed or neutered at a low-cost, make an appointment with the Pasadena Humane Society (PHS). If your dog is a pit-bull, pit bull-mix, Chihuahua or Chihuahua-mix up to 15 pounds, the spay/neuter fee is waived by PHS. PHS is located at 361 S. Raymond Ave.
The mandatory ordinance will not be actively enforced but would be enforced as a secondary enforcement when a dog or cat owner violates another state or local law pertaining to pet owners’ obligations. PHS officers will also check the status of pets they encounter.
The city will offer a spay/neuter grace period of three years, with the period ending on June 30, 2018. PHS will offer the owner of an unlicensed dog that is not spayed or neutered the opportunity to purchase a one-time unaltered license and give the owner a year to get their dog spayed or neutered or get an exemption from a veterinarian.
Some health benefits of spaying and neutering include the prevention of cancer or other life threatening illnesses, a longer and healthier life, and decreased aggression and roaming.
For more information about the spay/neuter ordinance and about licensing dogs, please visit http://www.cityofpasadena.net/Animal-Licensing-Mandatory-Spay-Neuter/. Or call the Pasadena Humane Society at (626) 792-7151 or visit their website at www.pasadenahumane.org.
