Thursday, September 19, 2024–11:11 a.m.

-Adam Carey, Rome News-Tribune-

This story is possible because of a news-sharing agreement with the Rome News-Tribune. More information can be found at northwestgeorgianews.com

The Rome Public Safety Committee recommended that the City Commission adopt an ordinance mandating that all pets be spayed or neutered to help with the record number of abandoned animals in the city.

“There has been an explosion in stray pets in Rome and Floyd County in the past several years,” Floyd County Public Animal Welfare Services Director Katy Walters said. “And this city ordinance will not stop the problem tomorrow, but it will start to close the floodgates on the number of stray and abandoned pets.”

Floyd County and Cave Spring adopted similar spay/neuter ordinances last fall. They exempt working farm dogs and people who breed pets.

City Commissioner Jim Bojo asked Walters what was the most common complaint when the county moved forward with its ordinance.

“People were initially concerned about cost,” Walters said. “But we told them that low-cost options are available at PAWS, plus we will microchip the pet and give them their shots. It’s really an amazing deal for pet owners.”

PAWS offers spay/neuter services plus micro-chipping and shots that cost from $45 to $60 for cats and $80 to $110 for dogs, depending on the size.

Jokingly, Commissioner Harry Brock said his son had recently adopted a dog somewhere else and did not realize the cost of having the dog altered.

“I should have told him to come home to Floyd County,” Brock said. “He would have saved a ton of money.”

The issue is that pet intakes continue to rise at PAWS, Walters said, and they’re having difficulty getting those animals adopted out.

“We picked up almost 800 dogs through August in the city and county,” she said. “That’s a lot, and we still have huge packs of dogs in some parts of the county. This ordinance will help.”