DALTON, Ga. — Responsible pet owners have their cats and dogs spayed or neutered if they aren’t actively breeding them, says Whitfield County Animal Shelter Director Diane Franklin.

But irresponsible pet owners need some incentive to do the right thing, Franklin told members of the county Board of Commissioners at their work session Monday. And commissioners seem inclined to give pet owners that incentive, asking County Attorney Robert Smalley to draft an ordinance that would require dog and cat owners to have their pets spayed or neutered at six months old or obtain a breeder’s license from the state Department of Agriculture.

“I don’t know how many times someone has brought in a bunch of puppies or kittens, and I ask, ‘Where’s the female (mother)?’ and they say ‘Back in the barn,'” Franklin said.

Franklin said that happens almost daily and she deals with some people bringing in puppies and kittens repeatedly.

Commissioner Roger Crossen asked how much it costs to have pets spayed or neutered and how much a breeder’s license costs. Franklin said there are low-cost spay and neuter options available for as little as $80 and there are some veterinarians who will do it for free for someone who is truly destitute. She said the cost of a breeder’s license varies by the amount of sales a breeder expects to make but the most expensive is $400.

Last year, at Franklin’s suggestion, commissioners approved a law increasing the fee to reclaim an animal that had been picked up by animal control from the animal shelter to $150 from $25 but automatically reduced that fee to $25 if the animal had been previously spayed or neutered. And If the animal has not been spayed or neutered, the law says the fee will be waived entirely if the owner requests that Whitfield County Animal Control carry the animal to a licensed spay/neuter clinic of the owner’s choice and the clinic confirms it has spayed or neutered the animal at the owner’s expense.

But commissioners did not act on her request that they impose a spay/neuter law, something commissioners have discussed but never acted on several times during at least the last 15 years.

What has changed?

“This problem isn’t going away,” said Commissioner Greg Jones.

Crossen agreed.

“Sometimes we move a little slowly, but we’ve got to do something,” he said.

Franklin said around 2,300 animals were either brought into the shelter by owners or by animal control last year.

“We aren’t going to go out and go to people’s homes and see if their animals are spayed and neutered, but if we come into contact with an animal, or animal control picks it up, we want to tell them they have to address this issue,” Franklin said.

Smalley said under state law the maximum fine could be $1,000.

Smalley also briefed commissioners on state House Bill 302, which would restrict local governments’ ability to dictate the design of one- and two-family homes. Smalley said Whitfield County does not have a design ordinance so the bill would not directly impact the county but it is an attempt by the state to control what has traditionally been a local prerogative.

The Association County Commissioners of Georgia opposes the bill and has asked county commissions across the state to pass resolutions opposing it. Commissioners agreed they would.