The Times (And The Fees) They Are A Changin’ At Lawton Animal Welfare

With pet overpopulation on the rise, and local concerns about the fees charged by the City of Lawton for pet adoption, the Lawton Animal Welfare committee spent months going over all the costs, and has come up with some recommendations for the city council to consider. Those changes include possible reductions in the registration and adoption fees, and if the council approves the changes, officials hopes the changes will help cut down on the number of pets that the City is currently sheltering.

In the past, if a pet got out and was picked up by animal welfare, the animal's owner would have to pay at least $65 to get their pet back, not counting possible additional fees if the animal has not been licensed with the city. Lawton Animal Welfare decided that this was one of the discouraging factors keeping some owners from picking up their pets. This in turn led to overcrowding in the shelter.

With the suggested changes, now picking up your pet for the first time will be free of charge. The second time will be $20, and every time after that it will be $80. And if you are looking to adopt a furry friend, the good news is that those fees are coming down too. Under the newly suggested changes, the fee to adopt a dog, fixed or not will be $50, and just $20 for a cat. That is down from a fee of $80 for a fixed animal and $45 for one that is not. To license an animal that is spayed or neutered is $10 one time, and for a pet that is not it’s $50 a year.

There are other suggested fee changes in the plan to be presented, including the euthanization fee, which will be going up from $30 to $100. The fee is being raised in an attempt to lower the numbers of pets that are being "dumped" at the pound to be simply put to sleep. Also, administration and processing fees have been added, but the cost of adoption will still be lower for adopting and recovering a lost pet.

source: KSWO news