The Fayette County Animal Shelter has announced new fees associated with spaying and neutering when animals are being adopted.
Above, this dog house was positioned outside the meeting chambers of the Fayette County Commission on Sept. 28 as animal advocates inside the building asked that an animal shelter advisory board be established. Photo/Ben Nelms.
Staff is implementing a new policy that requires all animals that are adopted from the shelter be spayed or neutered before they are adopted. This new policy includes a spay or neuter cost that is significantly less than what a resident would pay under the old policy. The adoption rabies fees would remain the same, county staff said.
The animal control fees are:
• Adoption fee for dogs – $30
• Adoption fee for cats – $20
• Rabies vaccinations dogs and cats – $10
• New – spay or neuter dog – $120
• New – spay or neuter cat – $60
Staff said prior to this change a person that adopted an animal would pay the adoption fee only at the shelter but would be responsible to pay the other fees at a vet or clinic within 30 days of adoption and the cost could be on average two and a half times more expensive over the new spay and neuter fees.
Here is how an adoption would work if you came to the shelter to adopt an animal, if the dog or cats was already spayed or neutered when it came to the shelter, you would only pay the adoption fee and rabies vaccination for a total of $40 for a dog and $30 for a cat.
In the case of an unneutered dog or cat, you would pay the adoption fee; rabies vaccination and they would have to be spayed or neutered, those fees would total $160 for a dog and $90 for a cat, staff said.
The new fee increase is to ensure that any animal that is adopted from the Fayette County Animal Shelter was spayed and neutered and has a current rabies vaccination, which will help control the pet population and also to insure that pets are protected from the rabies virus.
