Irondale City Council takes stance in support of Alabama/Spay Neuter Clinic
Published: Wednesday, October 03, 2012, 3:27 PM Updated: Wednesday, October 03, 2012, 3:28 PM
EnlargeThe State Veterinary Board is considering new regulations that could cause nonprofit clinics like the Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic and others like it in the state that spay and neuter to shut down. The board is considering whether to change the rules which state that all the equipment in clinics must be owned by a vet. (Tamika Moore/The Birmingham News)Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic could could face new regulations by State Vet. Board Sept. 27,2012 gallery(14 photos)
At issue are new rules under consideration by the Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. Advocates of the state's four nonprofit spay-neuter clinics say the rules would force them to shut down and reduce access to low-cost services for pet owners.
Alabama Spay/Neuter executive director Mark Nelson spoke to the Irondale City Council Monday night, distributed a four-page handout with information about the new rules and encouraged residents to write the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, which will hold a public hearing on the new rules on Oct. 10 in Montgomery.
Nelson said the new rules were an effort to restrict competition.
"My opinion is they have a clear agenda to close the nonprofits," Nelson said.
Nelson said closing the clinics could lead to overpopulation of dogs and cats, which ultimately leads to more need for euthanasia, he said.
One new rule would prohibit veterinarians from using equipment or material not owned by another veterinarian. Alabama Spay/Neuter owns equipment and contracts with a veterinarian to perform surgeries in the clinic.
"In a nutshell, no non-veterinarian can provide equipment or medications for use by a veterinarian," Nelson wrote in the handout he distributed at the council meeting. "No non-veterinarian can rent or provide a facility for a veterinarian."
About 25 people were in the audience at the council meeting, and most raised their hands when asked if they wanted a copy of the handout.
Alabama Spay/Neuter opened in June 2008 and has performed more than 46,000 surgeries, Nelson said. The other nonprofit clinics are in Huntsville, Montgomery and Dothan. Nelson said almost 100,000 spay/neuter surgeries have been done at the four clinics since the first clinic opened in 2007.
"Many of the animals brought to these clinics belong to people who otherwise could not afford to fix their animals," Nelson wrote in the handout. He also said payments for many of the surgeries were supplemented by donations or grants to make them affordable.
The Irondale City Council passed a resolution in support of the clinic.
"I think they deserve our support," Mayor Tommy Joe Alexander said.
The Oct. 10 hearing will be held at 9 a.m. at 8 Commerce Street in Montgomery.
Tammy Wallace, executive director of the state board, issued a news release in reponse to a request for an interview about the proposed rule changes. The news release makes no mention of the nonprofits. The news release said the purpose of the Oct. 10 hearing is to take comments regarding the proposed rules.
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