CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: DECEMBER 16, 2015
PREPARED BY: Shane Palsgrove, Captain/Police Department
APPROVED BY: City Manager
TITLE
SPAY AND NEUTER PROGRAM
END
RECOMMENDATION(S)
RECOMMENDATION
1. Accept report, and
2. Provide direction for participation in the Santa Clara County Spay and Neuter Program for Fiscal Year 16/17 budget development.
BODY
COUNCIL PRIORITIES, GOALS & STRATEGIES:
Ongoing Priorities
Enhancing public safety
Protecting the environment
Maintaining fiscal responsibility
FY 14/15 Focus Areas
Community Engagement Effectiveness
REPORT NARRATIVE:
At its meeting of November 18, 2015, Council heard a request during public comment asking the City to participate in Santa Clara County's Spay and Neuter Program. Subsequently, Council Member Librers requested to have this item on the agenda for Council discussion. The Police Department has prepared a report regarding Santa Clara County's Spay and Neuter Program ("Program") for cats. Staff has extensively researched the Program and the pros and cons of the City participating in the Program.
Program Guidelines and Background
The County of Santa Clara currently provides a subsidy for the spaying/neutering of cats. The Program pays $30 per cat and the "guardian/Morgan Hill resident" pays a $25 co-pay to have a cat spayed/neutered at designated private veterinary clinics located throughout the County. There is one Morgan Hill veterinary clinic who participates in the Program. In FY14-15, the County paid $6,330 to have 211 Morgan Hill feral cats spayed/neutered. Many of these cats were brought in from non-profit organizations or feral cat advocates in Morgan Hill that trap, spay/neuter and release feral cats in the City limits. These groups or individuals capture a large quantity of cats that are taken to veterinarians to be spayed/neutered and then released back to their original location.
Participation by cities in the P...
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