Parish wide spay/neuter legislation passed by the Caddo Parish Commission goes into effect July 1

Caddo Parish, LA – According to the statement, this ordinance requires most dogs and cats within Caddo Parish to be spayed or neutered. The ordinance takes effect on July 1, 2022 and will sunset June 30, 2024 unless reenacted as a permanent ordinance, officials said.

The new spay/neuter ordinance applies to all unincorporated areas of Caddo Parish to dogs that are at least 1 year old (52 weeks or older) and cats that are at least 6 months old (26 weeks or older).  

The ordinance does provide exclusions under the following conditions:

• Any dog or cat that is registered with the officially recognized pedigree/kennel club associations (American Kennel Club, American Dog Breeding Association, etc.), providing that the owner can provide annual proof of membership and participation in show at least once a year in events sponsored by the organization. 
• Animals with a chronic health condition or disease whose health will be seriously or permanently affected by a spay/neuter procedure, providing that the owner provides official documentation by a licensed veterinarian. 
• Animal establishment owners as well as those who have breeding permits (intact females) or intact permits (males), providing that these animals are microchipped and that the permit is obtained annually.