There is currently a draft ordinance proposal on the desks of Austin city council.  The ordinance would require that all cats and dogs living in the city limits be neutered unless the owner purchases an unaltered pet license or the animal is somehow otherwise exempted.  In addition, owners wishing to breed their unaltered pet would pay additional fees related to breeding.

The City of Austin Animal Advisory Commission decided in a May 17, 2005 public meeting to send a proposed ordinance to City Council that would make Austin a mandatory spay/neuter city. 

The ordinance would make it unlawful for anyone to own an intact dog or cat over the age of 6 months except in cases where:
  a.) Medical reasons make it unsafe to sterilize the animal
  b.) The animal and owner is transitory and in the city less than 30 days in a 12 month period
  c.) The owner obtains an intact permit allowing them to keep an intact dog or cat

Owners found to be in violation of this proposed ordinance would be subject to a fine, purchase of an unaltered license, or neutering of the animal within 30 days of the citation.

Why is it necessary?

There are approximately 7 cats and dogs born to every human born in the United States. This means a lot of animals are homeless, living on the streets, or being brought in to our city shelter. Austin's shelter (Town Lake Animal Center) currently receives approximately 23,000 animals per year, and adopts out 10,000 of these into new homes. This means that 13,000 animals are being killed at this shelter each year, including healthy animals, puppies, kittens, etc. One female cat and her kittens can conceivably produce 420,000 kittens in 7 years, one female dog and her puppies can conceivably produce 67,000 puppies in 7 years. The only way to decrease the number of animals in the city is to spay/neuter these animals and prevent them from breeding at such an alarming rate.  Click here for some quick statistics on the overpopulation of animals in Austin.
 
Overpopulation of animals is not only a problem for the animals themselves, but it also creates a human health risk. Last year 16,297 phone calls were responded to in regards to a human or animal being bit by a dog or cat. Approximately 80% of the animals involved in bite cases are animals that have not been neutered (according to the Texas Department of Health Services Zoonosis Control Division statistics.) Each call to Austin 311 costs the city (and the taxpayers) $61.35. That's just under $1 million spent on these services! Neutered animals have been shown to be less likely to roam and less aggressive, and therefore less likely to bite or injure a person or another animal.

Does mandatory spay and neuter work?

Quite simply, yes. There are many cities and counties across the U.S. that have implemented mandatory sterilization of pets. Some shelters have seen their euthanasia rates reduced as much as 58%!

King County, Washington introduced a sterilization ordinance in 1990. At that time, they were euthanizing approximately 13,000 animals per year. In 2003 they only euthanized 5,943 animals, only 8 of which were classified adoptable! Please go to http://www.metrokc.gov/lars/animal/annual/stats.htm for shelter statistics in King County.

In San Mateo County, California, they passed a sterilization ordinance in 1990. That year they euthanized 9,038 animals. In 2004 they only euthanized 2,707 animals. 
For a listing of ordinances in other cities please go visit http://www.helpinganimals.com/t-lawspayord.html.