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Nov. 08, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Feral cats out of control

High euthanasia numbers fuel calls for spay/neuter law

By ALAN CHOATE
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

A feral cat, which is not likely to ever be tamed, strikes an aggressive pose Thursday in a cage at the Lied Animal Shelter. Clark County's feral cat population is estimated at 500,000 or more. The Las Vegas City Council will consider a proposal that would require most cats and dogs to be spayed or neutered.
Photos by John Gurzinski.



As senior surgeon Diane Balle spays a dog at the Lied Animal Shelter on Friday, another awaits her. Balle said she spays or neuters about 30 animals each day.





The feral cat room at the Lied Animal Shelter is a difficult place to keep clean.

That's because the cats, which at first glance look like the felines that might purr on your lap, are actually wild animals that probably could never be socialized as pets.

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    • Their numbers are shocking, too. One estimate puts the feral cat population in Clark County at 500,000 or more.

    Those that end up in the shelter are euthanized, and those statistics are also striking. Of the 30,921 animals put down in local shelters in 2008, nearly two-thirds, or 19,749, were cats.

    But euthanasia is not a solution to pet overpopulation, animal officials say. That's why the city of Las Vegas is seeking to follow North Las Vegas in adopting a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance for dogs and cats as a way to break the cycle of rampant reproduction.

    The measure has its critics, though, and even supporters acknowledge that the approach isn't a magic bullet.

    "A mandatory spay/neuter (ordinance) is a good place to start," said Karen Coyne, head of Las Vegas' Detention and Enforcement department, which includes animal control.

    If enacted, the measure might not show results for years, she said. As proposed, the ordinance would require dogs and cats over 4 months old to be spayed or neutered, with certain exceptions.

    A veterinarian could certify that a pet was incapable of breeding or medically unfit for the operation.

    The requirement also wouldn't apply to service animals, law enforcement and rescue animals, or those belonging to someone holding a dog or cat fancier's permit, a breeder's permit or a professional animal handler permit.

    Pets impounded at the Lied shelter would have to be spayed or neutered before being returned to their owners. The animals also would have to have a microchip implanted for identification.

    For enforcement purposes, the ordinance would require pet shops to submit lists of dogs and cats sold each quarter.

    The proposal will be before the Las Vegas City Council soon. A council subcommittee that reviews proposed ordinances decided to send it to the council without a recommendation on whether to pass or not pass the bill after a lengthy and contentious hearing.

    "There is a problem out there and we need to do something," said Councilman Stavros Anthony, although he also acknowledged that "this is a lot more complicated than I thought."

    Opponents said a pet's health can be an issue. There's even a property rights angle, as a pet is someone's property.

    If an unsterilized pet ends up in the shelter and is sterilized to comply with the ordinance, Anthony said, "we are actually taking somebody's property and altering it without their permission. I think that needs to be shaken out."

    The main complaint from opponents is that the ordinance would require sterilization at too young an age.

    "I am not against spay and neuter. It is a necessary evil," said Mike Connell of the Silver State Kennel Association. But doing it at 4 months of age is "a mutilation of a tender young body."

    "It shortens their life span and causes long-term medical problems," he said. "They need that growth time."

    Connell said the answer is increased educational efforts to make people realize their responsibilities as pet owners.

    Ken Sondej, legislative liaison for the American Kennel Club, said sterilization at 4 months could be acceptable for shelter animals. Private citizens should have more time, he said, and officials should respect the idea of veterinarian-client privacy.

    What that doesn't do, supporters say, is get at the roots of the problem, so-called "backyard breeders" and people who abandon unsterilized animals or let them run free. Those situations lead to booming animal populations that can increase exponentially.

    "There is a group of people out there who are the problem, who will not spay or neuter even if you offer the service for free," said Jana Wright, who works for Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani.

    The commissioner hopes to introduce a similar ordinance for Clark County by the end of the year, Wright said.

    Harold Vasko, president of the Heaven Can Wait Animal Society, said the only way to bring populations under control is to get to "ground zero," spaying or neutering pets before they reproduce.

    "Ten percent of the people are probably causing 70 percent of the problem," Vasko said. "We don't even say that it's wrong. People are just having litter after litter after litter."

    There are other benefits of spaying and neutering besides preventing unwanted offspring. Altered pets are less likely to show aggression or roam, have reduced incidence of certain kinds of diseases and also have "reduced urine odor," according to the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association.

    Coyne and Jason Smith, director of operations at the Lied shelter, said the ordinance is a way to bring recalcitrant pet owners into compliance.

    Violating the ordinance would be a misdemeanor punishable by fines of $225 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for the third and subsequent violations.

    "This is not a solution in and of itself," Smith said. "But right now, the animal control officers' hands are tied. There's nothing to enforce."

    Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.

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    animal lover wrote on November 09, 2009 06:53 AM: There is no need to be unnecessarily cruel to any animal and knowing that people out there actually make the suggestion to use rat poison and anti-freeze to help rid the problem is deplorable. There are several organizations that are working very hard to try and stop this horrific tragedy.

    There is a low cost, high quality spay and neuter clinic run by Heaven Can Wait Animal Society (www.hcws.org) and they also put on Feral Cat clinics once a month where they spay/neuter any feral cats that are brought to them for free. They are doing a tremendous amount to help fix this problem.

    Please educate yourself and be part of the solution.


    RAT POISON WORKS PURRFECTLY wrote on November 08, 2009 07:12 PM: Rat poison mixed in with cat food works PURRRFECTLY.


    Jill wrote on November 08, 2009 06:37 PM: Amar,
    Get a live trap (shaped like a rectangle with ends that come down and trap the cat - hardware store), bait it with cat food, cover the top and sides of the trap with a sheet, hide and watch the trap until you catch the mother. Trap the cat right before you intend to take it to the vet so it is not in the elements with no water. Sometimes it takes a long time to trap the cat you want. Then take her to a clinic or vet and get her spayed. That will be the first step. Spay any kittens if possible and release them. I had a home with many feral cats, spent one whole summer spaying and neutering cats. It is time consuming, but worthwhile. Good luck.


    Jill wrote on November 08, 2009 06:20 PM: Feral cats are wild, they can't just be picked up and taken into a vet to spay and neuter. They don't have "owners". They need to be trapped in a live cage and taken in to a vet who is familiar with feral cats. They can be spayed at age 3 months. Denver, CO has a very organized feral cat spaying and neutering system which occurs in motor homes converted to mobile vet clinics. The vets volunteer their time and sterilize the cats at discounted prices. For more information: www.catcaresociety.org


    Amar wrote on November 08, 2009 06:05 PM: What is a person supposed to do? We are victims of a feral cat that uses our back yard to give birth. We cannot catch it. It has produced 3 litters to date. The first 2 we were able to capture and give away. The last time I took the kittens and sadly threw them in the garbage where I know they met an ignominious death. The animal shelter won't answer their phone. The local cat societies only have a website where they criticize people who are mean to cats. We don't want cats. We never asked for cats, and I understand we can get in trouble if we kill them. I have heard you can put out antifreeze for them to drink but it is a horrible death and threatens to harm domesticated cats that run freely. Help! Help!


    The Solution wrote on November 08, 2009 04:09 PM: Let's herd them up and put them in giant corrals, just like we do with Nevada's non-native feral horses and burros.


    DJ2 wrote on November 08, 2009 02:17 PM: How do mandatory spaying, neutering, and micro-chipping of family pets curtail the rampant reproductive opportunities and capacities of feral cats? I'm having a difficult time connecting the dots here.

    Yes, responsible pet owners should all be responsible for their own pet's reproduction, however, a large, already established, independent, and flourishing feral population will be little impacted by whether or not local pet owners spay/neuter.

    This misguided attempt to control feral over-population seems to be more directed towards increasing revenue by curtailing and charging for the choices responsible pet owners make with their own pets. The intent of the law may be good, but any verifiable and measurable impact on the target problem is questionable.


    Free Nevada wrote on November 08, 2009 01:33 PM: I think anyone who has ever flown into Las Vegas at night knows we have a lot of one thing out here --LAND--.

    Unless they're rabid, the feral cats should be trucked 200 miles away twice a week and set free to live or die on Nature's dime.

    All domesticated strays should be held 2-3 miles outside of town on a vast farm of donated BLM land and we should make it illegal to sell animals anywhere in Nevada except at that farm.

    ..and yeah, mandatory neuter/spay and pet registration, but violators should get community service (guess where --the farm) unless they pay four figure fines. Means nothing though without enforcement, somehow involving the HOA if there is one, or local beat cops or schools.

    @jed: you are high. I have seen them running "in and out" of the back of places while waiting in the drive thrus!


    jed wrote on November 08, 2009 12:34 PM: You know what I have never seen in Las Vegas? A rat! Now why would that be?


    A solution wrote on November 08, 2009 12:05 PM: "Ten percent of the people are probably causing 70 percent of the problem,"

    Not only fine these idiots but force them to work at the shelter for six months!


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