Pet owners whose dogs or cats are impounded twice within a 12-month period are going to have to pay as much as $125 more to recover their pet from the Davis County Animal Shelter.
The additional charge, which became effective Nov. 1, is part of a 2011 piece of legislation aimed at promoting pet sterilization.
“This new law will only impact the citizens of Davis County whose pet has been impounded twice in a 12-month period,” said Clint Thacker, director of Davis County Animal Services.
The new law requires that, if a dog or cat is impounded two times in a 12-month period, the owner must pay the standard impound fee of $50, plus $12 per day for boarding, in addition to a sterilization deposit to redeem the pet, he said.
The additional sterilization fees are $125 for a dog spay; $100 for a dog neuter; $90 for a cat spay; and $65 for a cat neuter. Each fee increases by $25 for any pet that weighs 65 pounds or more, Thacker said.
The fee is applicable only for animals that have not been sterilized.
In paying the sterilization fee, the pet owner will receive a sterilization voucher valid for 90 days, he said.
The pet owner can choose to redeem the voucher with any of the veterinarians participating in the program.
If the owner chooses not to sterilize the pet, the money goes to the animal shelter to be used for pet sterilization purposes or a sterilization education program, he said.
The fee amounts were determined based on a combination of veterinarian input and a desire for a discount to the pet owner, Thacker said.
The fees may sound like a lot of money, he said, but they are less than what some pet owners would pay at an area veterinarian’s office to have their animal sterilized.
“It is not a money-maker for us.”
The county is merely adhering to state law, Thacker said. For more information, call 801-444-2200.
Comments