Cameron announces new spay and neuter program

The Cameron City Council established the foundation of a proposed citywide spay and neuter program to curb feral cats and dogs.

The program, proposed by Councilmen Denny Clark and L. Corey Sloan in October, creates affordable spay and neutering for citizens while also creating a catch, spay or neuter and release program for area cats and dogs.

“If we decide to go in this direction, when we start off, we have $20,000 or $30,000 to start the program on a trial basis,” Community Development Director Tim Wymes said. “Another factor, in St. Louis County, is 90 percent of veterinarian clinics participate in this. Partnership is key. The whole purpose of this type of program is working together to get a hold of this type of issue.”

Clark and Sloan proposed the program in response to an uptick in feral cat calls by Cameron Animal Control. Initially, their intent was to confront a growing feral cat problem with a humane solution and over many meetings the program evolved to include affordable spay and neutering for Cameron citizens’ felines and canines. Wymes crafted the early concept of Cameron’s plan as a hodgepodge of concepts based on plans out of St. Louis, Columbia and other comparable Missouri metropolitans. 

“If we start of with $5,000, whether it be this year or next year’s budget … (at a cost) $35 to spay or neuter a cat, you could spay or neuter 142 animals in one fiscal year budget. It’s a good concept, a good idea, it’s just a matter of whether you guys want to move forward.”

Wymes estimated the city could perform 20 operations a month. In order to pay for the program, Steve Rasmussen, city manager, said recommended the city transfer its animal license fee from the general fund budget to a spay and neuter program fund budget or create a line item in the 2020 budget to fund the program. 

“We’re paying for this thing right now. If we’re capturing them, feeding them and taking them to the vet, then we’re already paying for this,” Clark said. “I see no reason to wait on implementing this. We’re paying for it one way or another. We’re already collecting increased fees for licensing. To me, the goal would be to have it as successful as possible. I would open it up for any citizen that lives in town.”

The Council also:

Approved the purchase of a $198,934 bucket truck

Appointed Kent Osborn, Linda Morris and Pat Steele to the Cameron Library Board

Approved lease-purchase agreement with Central Bank of Missouri for Linda’s Precious Pets Small Animal Care Center.