The Wichita Animal Services Advisory Board will meet this week on Wednesday, November 16 at 4:00pm to discuss a potential mandatory spay and neuter ordinance.
The board will need to develop an ordinance and approve it before it will receive further consideration. Once the board approves an ordinance it may require approval from the Wichita Police Department before it will receive consideration before the full Wichita City Council.
Wichita residents are encouraged to use the contact information below to reach out to the advisory board and also to consider attending Wednesday’s meeting to express concerns.
While no draft is available, AKC understands that the stated goal is to address concerns with at-large dogs and irresponsible breeders. However, while we sympathize with these issues, mandatory spay/neuter is not an effective solution.
Talking Points
- Rather than imposing spay/neuter mandates, board members should instead focus on reasonably increasing penalties for violations of at large dog laws, better enforcement of existing animal control laws to reduce the number of strays and unintended litters, expand low-cost spay/neuter programs, and provide resources for public education programs to promote responsible dog ownership.
- Mandatory sterilization may not be in the best interest of all dogs. Studies are increasingly demonstrating that sterilization – particularly at an early age – can lead to serious health issues including cancer, ligament damage, and even a shorter life span. The decision to sterilize an animal is an important decision that should be made by an owner in conjunction with their veterinarian.
- Spay/neuter laws can prevent consumers from being able to obtain a healthy, well-bred dog from a local responsible breeder.
- Enforcement of mandatory spay/neuter laws have proven costly and ineffective in other communities.
How to Help
Dog owners in Wichita should email the advisory board and express opposition to any proposed mandatory spay and neuter ordinance. Dog owners should also plan on attending the meeting to provide public comment in opposition. The meeting will be held at the:
Kansas Humane Society
3313 N Hillside St
Wichita, KS 67219
Please find the email addresses for the advisory board members below:
stephaniemccurdy@kw.com
geoftheo7@gmail.com
paragoninvestigations@hotmail.com
kjones@cathospitalofwichita.com
mayoralappointeeasab@gmail.com
mmarlett@gmail.com
elainestephen@gmail.com
equerner@yahoo.com
bwhipple@wichita.gov
bjjohnson@wichita.gov
btuttle@wichita.gov
MHHoheisel@wichita.gov
JBlubaugh@wichita.gov
BFrye@wichita.gov
MBallard@wichita.gov
For additional information, please contact American Kennel Club Government Relations at doglaw@akc.org.