Clay County Animal Control Pre-Adoption Sterilization Program

Shelter operated by county consolidated government
Shelter Intake FY 01/02: 8,263
Pets Adopted FY 01/02: 841

Solution: Clay County Animal Control in order to fulfill obligations under Florida law has long practiced post-adoption, pre-release sterilization. Pets that are adopted are not sent home with their new owners but are held at the shelter and transferred by animal control officers to participating clinics to be altered. The new adopting family then is able to pick up their new pet at the Veterinarian after the surgery, paying the standard price for sterilization and other services.

Adopters are allowed to select from a list of participating clinics, if they do not have a preference clinics are selected on a rotating basis. Clients are informed of approximate surgery cost at time of adoption and pay all charges when picking up pet at clinic after surgery.

Cost to County: Basically no cost to the county with the exception of transporting pets to the participating clinics.

Advantages of this system:
  • Ensures that each newly adopted pet is seen by a Veterinarian.
  • Each new adopting family is also seen by a Veterinarian, giving the opportunity for education on pet health care issues.
  • Low start-up costs
  • Low risk of expending resources on pets that would not be adopted.


Disadvantages of this system:

  • Delay in taking new pet home may deter some adoptions.
  • Uncertainty of cost of surgery may deter some adoptions.
  • Increased transporting of pets requires hours of labor, increasing as adoptions increase.
  • Pets sometimes must wait several days for surgery opening before being transported to clinic.
  • Pets are often transported to clinic and then found to have heartworms or other health concerns that should have been attended to before adoption, forcing tough decisions on those adopting.