Skip to content Skip to Content

Seaside City Council looks to a new spay and neuter ordinance for pet control

0:00/ 0:00LIVEQuality1  AudioSubtitleSpeedNormal  

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Seaside will meet Thursday to discuss mandating a potential ordinance to require pet owners to spay or neuter their pets after an influx of domestic stray cats and dogs are turned into the SPCA. The Seaside City Council is in talks about an ordinance that would make spay and neutering of dogs and cats mandatory in the city.

Seaside is having a pet population issue and aims to tackle it head-on with a new ordinance.

"If you go through our in our community, even at my own home on my street, I see an issue with feral cats. We have also with backyard breeding," Seaside City Councilmember Alex Miller said. "And there's a lot of backyard breeding happening in Seaside."

Councilmember Alex Miller says the dogs and cats are bred for the sake of monetary gain. However, some are getting turned in to the SPCA Monterey County which is a heavy cost for the city.

"A couple of years ago, it was $170. Now we're getting into the $250 range for every animal, and it's costing our city between $10,000 to $15000 a month in animals just being released to the SPCA,” Miller said.

SPCA Monterey County is a local non-profit that is committed to supporting the ordinance if passed, but hope that it can be helpful to residents.

“So that's what we're hoping that Seaside does with this ordinance is also provide access to low cost spay and neuter because we'd hate to see somebody lose their pet simply because they can't find standard or services or they can't afford it," Beth Brookhouser of SPCA Monterey County said.

An initial staff report of the ordinance also had an error in its data stating “70% of cats that enter Monterey County shelters are euthanized each year” leading SPCA to ask the city for a correction on their data.

As for the cost of getting these services, the city of Seaside aims to continue providing low-cost services for the city.

"We have low cost spay and neuter option here in the city of Seaside. You can get your animal spay and neuter in the city of seaside once a month. Every month we have the snip bus comes to the city and residents can have their pet spay and neuter for only $25. And that's really important for our city.”

Councilmember Miller says the city isn't actively trying to punish people for having pets — but to address some of the backyard breeding leading to a growing stray animal population.

Article Topic Follows: News

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

Sergio Berrueta

Sergio Berrueta has been in the news for quite awhile going from studying print media to entering the realm of broadcast.

Originally from Bell Gardens, California, in Southeast Los Angeles. Berrueta started his professional news career in Eureka as a newscast producer for North Coast News (now The Northstate’s News) at KAEF ABC 23 in 2022. He pivoted a year later in 2022 going from behind-the-scenes to in front of the camera as a multimedia journalist for Redwood News Channel 3 (KIEM/KVIQ) also in Eureka.

Berrueta studied journalism at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) earning his Bachelor’s Degree. Berrueta was a staff writer, page editor, social media manager and editor-in-chief of the university’s El Lenador, the only bilingual publication in all of Humboldt County.

Before moving to the North Coast, Berrueta had earned his Associate’s Degree at East Los Angeles College in 2019 after beginning his educational journey in 2012. He also was on staff for the ELAC’s publication, ELAC Campus News, having been a staff writer, page editor, and online editor.

Outside of news experience, Berrueta has also been in education as an AmeriCorps tutor in East Hollywood from 2017 to 2019 and served in a government role as a National Hometown Fellow for Lead for America with the City of Arcata in 2021.

When not focusing on news, Berrueta is an avid amateur cinephile having written about films in free time. He also writes poetry, attempting to get through a backlog of video games, enjoys visiting new places along the California Coast, and trying to keep up with the latest music and podcasts.

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KION 46 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.