ANDERSON — People who adopt pets from the Animal Protection League and Madison County Humane Society could be required by city ordinance to have their dogs and cats spayed or neutered.
The Anderson City Council for the second consecutive month passed an amended version of the animal control ordinance on Thursday. Additional changes are anticipated.
Final adoption is expected at the Dec. 10 meeting after changes will be formulated by Tim Lanane, attorney for the council.
A large group of people were in attendance at the meeting to support the new ordinance, but only one commented on the proposal.
Kellie Borgman, co-founder with Angie Webster of Friends for Paws in Pendleton, said the organization has helped the Pendleton Police Department , Madison County Sheriff’s Department and Anderson Police Department when animal control officers were not available.
She said since Pendleton passed a similar ordinance, it's been rare to see a loose dog running in the community.
“There is help for low-income people to have their pets spayed or neutered,” Borgman said.
Friends for Paws assists with the adoption of cats and dogs.
“I hope one day to be out of business,” she said, “knowing that all pets have a loving home.”
The second reading of the ordinance was approved by a 6-1 vote. Councilman Ollie H. Dixon, a Democrat representing the 4th District, casting the dissenting vote.
Dixon said the city will be soon regulating whether people can own a pet.
He said the cost of spaying or neutering a dog or cat will be prohibitive for low-income families and those on a fixed income.
Councilman Art Pepelea Jr., R-5th District, said work started on amending the city’s existing animal control ordinances about a year ago.
“This is not perfect,” he said. “We’re tweaking the existing ordinances in an attempt to get it right.”
As proposed, the ordinance will give people who adopt a dog or cat from the city’s animal shelter or humane society seven days to have the animal spayed or neutered by a licensed veterinarian.
Lanane said there are exceptions in the ordinance, including for show animals; service dogs; for medical concerns expressed by a veterinarian; and for owners with a breeding permit.
Owners will have to provide documentation from a nationally recognized organization that certifies show animals and service animals.
The breeder’s permit will allow the owner to not sterilize the animals for a period of 12 months and allow the maximum of one litter in a year. The permit owner has to provide the city with information on the birth of each litter of dogs and cats.
The breeder’s permit can be obtained at a cost of $10.
Lanane said a required change is that the breeder’s permit be obtained from the Anderson city controller’s office instead of the city clerk’s office.
The ordinance also added as a mistreatment of an animal if it’s left alone in an unattended vehicle when the conditions in the vehicle would be a health hazard, and that an animal cannot be transported in the trunk of a vehicle.