CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Owning a cat or dog in Corpus Christi may be more expensive as the city implements a new ordinance.
This will only affect those with pets that aren't spayed or neutered.
On Tuesday, the City of Corpus Christi pushed a $50 annual permit requirement for "unsterilized" cats and dogs that are 6 months or older.
"The main reason for the ordinance is to address the concerns of overpopulated animals within our city," said Joel Skidmore, program manager for the City of Corpus Christi Animal Care Services, "We also want to target unsterilized animals that are procreating and adding additional litters or strays that we are having to take care of."
The ordinance goes into effect October 1.
Pet owners who do not adhere to the ordinance will impede a penalty of at least $500.
The new ordinance also includes more rules for pet owners with aggressive dogs.
According to the city's report, aggressive dog breeds will be required to be on a shorter leash.
Instead of the current 6-foot leash designation, pet owners will have to adjust leashes to 3-feet. Shorter leashes can be purchased at the city's animal care services division.
For pet owners like Kevin Kieschnick, he believes the new changes would increase the already existing expenses for pet owners.
"I believe it’s government overreach because it’s unnecessary," said Kieschnick, "It's not going to fix the problem at hand. I think it should be up to the individual pet owner if they want to spay or neuter their animals. Having a pet is expensive enough, but if you have three or four, this is going to add to what we already pay for our animals."
However, others pet owners like Juan Aranda, who has two dogs, says he doesn't see a problem for pet owners to adhere to the ordinance.
"If you’re not breeding them, it shouldn’t be a problem," Aranda said, "It can be costly sometimes, but I don’t think of it as a bad thing. Just pay $50. That’s really it.”
If you’re looking to get your animal spayed or neutered, the city has partnered with two agencies to offer affordable services to pet owners.
People Assisting Animal Control (PAAC) and the Cattery are great resources to help pet owners before the ordinance goes into effect.
Click the provided links for more information.
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