Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Staff Writer
It has been six months since Clovis city commissioners approved an ordinance that requires pet owners pay $165 for sterilization and vaccinations when adopting from the city’s animal shelter.
To that end, officials are reporting an increase in euthanized animals and a decrease in adoptions since the measure passed.
“We have seen euthanasia go up by approximately 27 percent from before the new ordinance was enacted,” said Clovis Police Chief Doug Ford with regard to numbers that reflected the time frame from Oct. 1, 2015 through March 28, 2016 and March 29, 2016 through Sept. 16, 2016. “We euthanized 404 (animals) before the ordinance change and 512 since."
Marty Martinez, the city’s animal control supervisor, said six months prior to the change, the city adopted 439 animals; in the six months after the new ordinance, the city has adopted 351 animals.
Meanwhile, animal shelter numbers are on the rise, according to Ford.
“We have also seen a slight increase in the number of animal intakes to the shelter in the last six months, from 1,065 to 1,118; which is a 5 percent increase in the animals taken in,” he said. “We have also seen a decline in the rescue groups who are pulling animals from the shelter, with a couple leaving the area and others going to other resources.”
The ordinance passed unanimously during the first city commission meeting in March. The vote to introduce the ordinance was 7-1, with Chris Bryant dissenting over concerns the higher adoption rate would push people to towards unscrupulous sellers.
Backers of the ordinance said the goal was to promote responsible pet ownership, and an adoption price tag that covered vaccinations and sterilizations was part of that process.
Among the provisions of the ordinance, which was passed in March:
• Permit requirements for animals — an attempt to eliminate hoarding, street corner sales of animals, puppy mills and backyard breeders with inhumane conditions.
• Multi-animal permit — Anyone residing in the city can have a total of four dogs or cats, in any combination. If you want to have more than four dogs or cats, you will need to apply for a multi-animal permit that will allow for up to nine sterilized animals.
• Commercial business registration — This is for anyone who operates a kennel, pet shop, shelter or commercial breeding site.
• Animal litter permit — This applies to a pet owner whose pet has an accidental pregnancy. The pet owner can only apply for one litter permit per female per household. The first litter permit is free. If there is a subsequent litter the pet owner will be referred to the city clerk to obtain a business registration and there will be a $150 fine.
• Home business registration — This is the home breeding of dogs and cats for resale purposes. It can only be conducted in residential single-family zones. No more than two unsterilized animals can be kept at the residence for breeding purposes.
As she watched her Dachshund play at the Hillcrest Dog Park Saturday, Clovis resident Mary Orozco said she is saddened to learn the number of animals euthanized has risen.
“I’m an animal lover across the board, so it hurts to know even more animals have been put down,” she said. “But I had a feeling that could happen. I think people are scared away by the fee and thinking twice about adopting because of it. Maybe the city will take another look at that.”
