By Stacey Tinsley, stinsley@bossierpress.com
Bossier City Animal Control has reinstated its adoption fees for animals at the shelter.
Fees are now $100 for purebred and designer animals, $80 for dogs, and $70 for cats. These fees also include the first set of shots and heart worm testing for dogs and FIV/FeLV testing for cats.
In April, the city restructured the adoption fee schedule, but it was not put it into effect until July 1.
Originally, the city waived the fees about year ago to help alleviate the animal population in the shelter.
Within the restructured ordinance, the Mayor could waive the fee at anytime. This includes adoption events.
Traci Landry, public information officer for Bossier City, says the city did not immediately increase the adoption fee in April because the city wanted to make sure the shelter wouldn’t be harmed once the fee increase took effect.
“We wanted to make sure we were in a place where it would be okay for the shelter to do this, without putting the shelter in a bad spot,” Landry said. “We are going to work with people and do what we need to do to make sure animals get homes. But at the same time, we have a fiscal responsibility.”
Landry added that potential adopters will be receiving a $20 voucher for the spaying and neutering of an adopted animal.
“We were taking on the cost of the $20 vouchers, now we’re taking that in the adoption fee and giving you the voucher for the spaying or neutering,” she said.
Landry does not believe the adoption fee increase will prevent animals from being adopted.
“I don’t think we will lose adoptions because of the fee increase,” said Landry. “We’re still working with the shelters and animal rescues.”
