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10 <br />OCAS has already put into place a targeted community program to provide individualized, <br />personal assistance to low - income pet owners to help connect them to low- or no -cost spay /neuter <br />services. <br />4. Provide compelling incentives for pet owners to spay /neuter their dogs and cats. <br />The committee recommends a tiered and differential impoundment fee that financially favors pet <br />owners who have sterilized their cats and dogs, and provides negative incentives to pet owners <br />who have chosen not to spay /neuter their pets. This proposal includes higher penalties for owners <br />who have recovered an animal three or more times from the shelter, as well as a deposit system <br />for these owners to further encourage sterilization. The proposed tiered and differential <br />impoundment fees are: <br />First recove : $25 for a sterilized cat/dog, $50 for a reproductive cat/dog <br />Second_ recovery: $50 for a sterilized cat/dog, $100 for a reproductive cat/dog <br />Third recovery: $100 for a sterilized cat/dog, $200 for a reproductive cat/dog. The fee <br />for a reproductive pet is a combination of a $100 impoundment fee and a $100 <br />sterilization deposit. If the owner provides OCAS proof of sterilization in the form of a <br />veterinary record within 90 days of recovering his/her pet, the $100 sterilization deposit <br />will be refunded to the owner. <br />Fourth recovery: $200 for a sterilized cat/dog, $400 for a reproductive cat/dog. The fee <br />for a reproductive pet is a combination of a $300 impoundment fee and a $100 <br />sterilization deposit. If the owner provides OCAS proof of sterilization in the form of a <br />veterinary record within 90 days of recovering his/her pet, the $ loo sterilization deposit <br />will be refunded to the owner. (Note: The committee recognizes that the combined fee <br />of $400 may make it prohibitively expensive for some owners to recover their pets. <br />However, it should be stressed that most low- income households would qualify for low - <br />cost or no -cost sterilization services from the County's own program and thus pay no <br />more than $20 for the procedure. In addition, the fact that a reproductive animal has been <br />brought to OCAS as a stray four or more times should be taken into consideration when <br />deciding whether it is in the animal's best interest and in the best interest of the <br />community to be returned to that owner. The owner also would have had at least three <br />prior interactions with OCAS staff during which education regarding spay/neuter options <br />would have been provided.) <br />The committee decided to recommend implementation of the deposit system only after the second <br />dog/cat recovery for these reasons: <br />a. The committee opted to keep impoundment fees low for first and second recoveries, <br />understanding that animal escapes can happen that do not necessarily reflect owner <br />negligence. After first and second recoveries, our hope is that the helpful information <br />provided by OCAS staff regarding spay/neuter benefits and options will encourage <br />most owners to spay/neuter their reproductive animals. By the third pet recovery, we <br />believe that stronger incentives are required. These include higher impoundment fees <br />and the promise of a returned sterilization deposit if proof of sterilization within 90 <br />days is provided. <br />b. The deposit system will require increased time and effort from OCAS staff members. <br />The number of reproductive animals that are recovered more than two times at OCAS <br />is much lower than animals recovered once or twice, so the staff will not be taxed by <br />numerous collections and refunds of spay/neuter deposits. (From OCAS data 2007- <br />