County spay, neuter program running out of 2008 funding
Posted on Friday, July 25, 2008
The spay and neuter program for Washington County has nearly expended its budgeted funds for 2008 based on the applications approved, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, which administers the program.
That means the Washington County Quorum Court may have to approve more funds for the program if that trend continues until the next budget year starts in January.
The county program, which operates in unincorporated areas of the county and cities with populations of 10, 000 or less, has been in existence since 2003, when seed money was donated, said County Comptroller Boyd Darling.
Since that time and up until this year's budget, Darling said, actual expenditures for the program have averaged $ 35, 000 to $ 40, 000.
According to Boyd's records • In 2004, the Quorum Court budgeted $ 52, 596 and spent $ 35, 500.
• In 2005, the Quorum Court budgeted $ 50, 000 and spent $ 42, 940.
• In 2006, the Quorum Court budgeted $ 43, 525 and spent $ 37, 810.
• In 2007, the Quorum Court budgeted $ 55, 831 and spent $ 36, 130.
The amount budgeted for 2008 for the county's spay and neuter program is $ 25, 000, Darling said.
As of the end of June, he said, 62 percent of the budgeted amount, or $ 15, 720, had been expended in the program based on his records.
"For this time of year, it was running high," he said. "We're spending more on spay and neuter than we had in the past."
But that percentage only represents the invoices received from the vets, he said.
The Sheriff's Office deals with applications approved before the vouchers are used and invoices are processed.
"It always takes a while for the paperwork to get to us," Darling said.
Based on those approved applications, the budget has pretty much been depleted.
But that doesn't mean all the money will be spent, said Kelly Cantrell, media relations coordinator for the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
The program has paid out $ 18, 290 and $ 6, 230 has been approved as pending, which means the people have not yet used the money. They have 45 days to use it once it has been approved, Cantrell said.
It is rare, she said, that 100 percent of the people who apply and obtain approval "actually use this."
Washington County Sheriff's Cpt. Aaron Tomlinson, who handles animal control duties for the Sheriff's Office, said spay and neuter applicants - if money is available - must meet financial requirements based on yearly income and number of people in the household.
Most veterinary clinics in the county participate in the program, he said.
To participate, interested parties may obtain applications at veterinary clinics, fill them out and return them to the Sheriff's Office, which determines their eligibility.
Applicants are informed by the Sheriff's Office of denial or receive a voucher to use for the spaying or neutering of dogs and cats. It costs $ 30 to neuter and $ 50 for spaying a cat. It is $ 50 to neuter and $ 60 to spay a dog.
"If they're denied for whatever reason, then they send it back to them telling them why they were denied," Tomlinson said.
Tomlinson answers questions people have about spaying and neutering their animals as he goes on his calls.
His animal control territory includes unincorporated areas of the county and Winslow. He also helps small towns in the county, such as Greenland, Elkins, Elm Springs and Goshen, if need be, but their police departments handle most of the animal control calls, he said.
Lincoln, Prairie Grove, West Fork and Farmington have their own animal control departments.
Tomlinson said the biggest animal problem in the county is that many animals are being abandoned and dumped.
"There are a lot of really good dogs, well-mannered," he said, adding, however, that somebody did not have the time for them.
He takes dogs and cats he picks up to the animal shelter.
"We do everything we can to try to find the owner," he said.
The lost list is checked and animals are checked for microchips that indicate their owners' information.
The animal is held for a few days to see if an owner comes forward. After that, temperament testing is performed to see if they are good candidates for adoption.
Tomlinson says he believes the county's spay and neuter program is helping put a dent in the overpopulation problem.
"It really depends. There's a lot of people who still try to breed animals on their own," he said, adding they do it to try to make extra income.
Without the spay and neuter program, he said, the county would have a lot more animal control problems "than we actually have."
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