Since 2010, Broward County and the Humane Society of Broward County have participated in the Tri-County Spay-Neuter Coalition (the “Coalition”), consisting of the public animal care and control organizations and humane societies of Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Palm Beach County. This Coalition, brought together through the efforts of the Humane Society of Broward County and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, provides educational opportunities, funding, and operational assistance to test the impact of sterilization programs on the intake of cats and dogs at shelters.
Largely through these efforts, the relationship between Broward County's shelter staff and the Humane Society staff has developed sufficiently for the directors to work in partnership to seek grants and private fundraising for the construction and operation of a spay and neuter clinic in Broward County.
This proposed clinic would deliver high-volume, low-cost spay and neuter services for dogs and cats, as proposed in Resolution No. 2012-271, which was approved by the Board of County Commissioners on April 3, 2012. See Exhibit 1. Appropriate parcels of land for this purpose would be identified, possibly including real property in the vicinity of the County's new animal adoption center to be constructed on SW 42nd street, west of Ravenswood Road.
Co-location of a spay and neuter clinic at the County's new animal care and adoption center site and close proximity to the Humane Society’s facility would produce a positive spin-off for the new shelter by providing a steady stream of potential pet owners that would be seeking the services of the spay and neuter clinic. People in households that already own a pet are more likely to adopt a second pet than those in households without a pet. Additionally, spay and neuter programs have been identified across the nation as the best means to reduce the high number of healthy animals that are euthanized each year for lack of a home. Currently, there are working models in Florida as well as other states that have been effective at reducing the rising animal population – especially the feral and community cat population – that end up in the County and rescue organization shelters.
At the Board’s January Budget Workshop, Commissioners unanimously expressed their opposition to dedicated ad valorem taxation for the specific purpose of funding a high-volume, low-cost spay-neuter clinic, in light of the many other urgent budget priorities in our community. While the Board supported the goal of providing such services to the community, Commissioners did not support dedicated public funding for this purpose on the scale discussed by some advocates for animal welfare. Further, the Board did not seem supportive of delegating its responsibility for policy direction for budgeting and expenditure of public funds to a board of directors independent of the Board of County Commissioners. Through approval of this action, staff will be able to explore potential avenues of utilizing private resources with existing County resources to achieve reduction of pet overpopulation through a high-volume, low-cost spay and neuter program. |