OLYMPIA – Advocates estimate the unwanted births of thousands of stray dogs and cats all over Washington could be prevented by legislation proposed by Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver.
Pridemore’s Senate Bill 5329 would make spaying and neutering affordable for pet owners with limited incomes.
“We’re a society that loves pets, but we also wind up having to kill hundreds of unwanted cats and dogs every day,” Pridemore said. “Apart from the humane aspects, which should bother anyone, the cost of handling and euthanizing unwanted animals from litters is staggering—and less affordable than ever for many people in these difficult economic times.”
SB 5329 would enable low-income owners to spay or neuter pets for a copayment of $10 for cats and $20 for dogs. The full price of spaying or neutering a pet can run much higher, depending on the breed, sex and weight of the pet, and the average cost of handling a stray pet delivered to a shelter is estimated at more than $90, according to advocates. Pickup and delivery of strays to shelters can add another $150 to $200 to the cost.
“This bill solves several problems,” Pridemore said. “First, it reduces the number of unwanted animals that are needlessly killed each year. Second, at a time when many people are struggling to make ends meet, it helps those least able to afford to spay or neuter their pets. Third, it reduces shelter costs and frees up money to house strays until they can find homes, instead of destroying them.”
The program would be funded by a fee paid by distributors of more than 1 ton of pet food in a six-month period; its impact would amount to less than a penny per meal for an average-size dog and even less for most pets.
Advocates estimate the number of unaltered cats and dogs in Washington homes at between 460,000 to 660,000, and the number of feral and free-roaming cats at 1.2 million. They point out that a New Hampshire program begun in 1994 led to a 75-percent decrease in euthanasia and a 34-percent decrease in shelter admissions in just a few years.
“We’ve all seen the pictures of lonely pets in cages and without owners, and we know the only fate waiting for most of them is to be put down,” Pridemore said. “It doesn’t have to be that way. This is a problem we can solve for pennies.”
Advocates also say the legislation would make communities safer, since unaltered dogs account for 82 percent of dog bites and 92 percent of fatal attacks on people.
SB 5329 was heard Jan. 27 by the Senate Agriculture & Rural Economic Development Committee.
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For more information: Rick Manugian, Senate Democratic Communications, 360-786-7569
For interviews: Sen. Craig Pridemore, 360-786-7696
