Neutering Plan Must Be Passed

Facing a Jan. 1 deadline to comply with a state law, Orange County animal shelter officials are seeking approval at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting for a controversial program of spaying and neutering dogs.

Critics say the plan was sloppily thrown together by officials who have yet to explain its details to the shelter’s own advisory board, which meets tonight.

“Their proposal is to spay and neuter at the shelter,” said one of the critics, Sherry Meddick. “We originally supported that [idea], but I do not believe the shelter is capable of doing that in the correct way.”

Robert Newman, a Santa Ana lawyer and member of the shelter’s seven-member advisory board, said shelter officials are tossing together a plan after dragging their feet. The law was passed in September 1998, and officials have long been aware of the Jan. 1 deadline, he said.

“The county has had 15 months to present a plan,” Newman said, adding that neighboring counties like San Diego have already established voluntary programs. “You would have thought they saw this coming.”

Newman said the advisory board may vote against recommending the plan to supervisors.

The county appears to be the only urban area in the state that has yet to meet the law’s requirements.

On Jan. 1, the state law will require all shelters to spay or neuter dogs and cats before they can be given up for adoption.

In March 1998, anticipating the new law, the county shelter began having cats sterilized by outside veterinarians before making them available for adoption.

Mike Spurgeon, interim director of regulatory services, who was given authority over the shelter two months ago, said he has not had time to review complaints about the handling of the deadline as it affects dogs. He added that he was optimistic.

“As the newly assigned interim director, I haven’t had the luxury of going back and reviewing,” Spurgeon said. “But I’ve been making sure we’re going to be in compliance with the new state law.”

The plan calls for hiring a veterinarian--which has already been done--and two animal health technicians to sterilize the roughly 4,400 dogs adopted each year. The shelter would increase its current operations by leasing a mobile surgical vehicle to conduct spaying and neutering. Any additional work would be done by local veterinarians under contract with the county.

The cost would be $234,230 a year, offset by the $36 fee each adoptive owner would pay to have a pet sterilized and the $36 fine the new law imposes on owners whose unsterilized pets are impounded, shelter officials said.

Advisory board members have said that two major factors in a successful plan are adequate surgical facilities and the hiring of an experienced veterinarian to conduct high-volume sterilization.

Joel Pasco, a veterinarian who sits on the advisory board, said he was satisfied with newly expanded surgical facilities after he toured the shelter on Friday.

Pasco also said he was pleased with the selection of a new veterinarian, whom he has known for more than 10 years. Spurgeon said it was premature to name the new veterinarian; although a contract was signed, the county is still making background checks.

Newman said his frustration came in part from answers by shelter officials who told advisory board members “not to worry, we’re going to have something in place. We’ll be ready.”

The Orange County shelter received 34,573 dogs, cats, opossums, birds, skunks and other critters last year. Of the estimated 19,000 stray or abandoned dogs that will be brought to the county shelter this year, fewer than 12,000 are expected to find homes.