Yesterday evening, the St. Tammany Parish Council unanimously adopted a new spay/neuter ordinance. The new law, which goes into effect on December 20, 2024, requires all dogs to be spayed or neutered. However, it also includes broad exceptions, by:
- Exempting dogs 52 weeks of age and younger from the spay/neuter requirement.
- Allowing for any pet owner to obtain a no-fee intact waiver from the Animal Services Department if the owner presents proof of the animal’s current rabies vaccination, an animal license from the parish, and proof that the animal is microchipped.
In its communications with Parish Council members, the American Kennel Club (AKC) expressed appreciation that the ordinance demonstrated a more-balanced approach to addressing animal and shelter population issues than many, more anti-breeder proposals recently considered elsewhere, particularly in allowing any owner to obtain an intact waiver at no additional cost. However, AKC also reiterated its opposition to the concepts of breeding permits, breeding bans, or the mandatory spay/neuter of purebred dogs.
For more details on the new law, click here to read the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) November 26, 2024, legislative alert on St. Tammany.
For more information, contact AKC Government Relations at doglaw@akc.org.