To our friends in the veterinary community,
Senate Bill 5329/House Bill 1406 will be considered in the 2010 Washington State legislature. 
This bill will provide funds to help pay for at least 70,000 additional spay/neuter surgeries per year. The bill does not mandate spay/neuter surgery for pets--decisions to alter cats and dogs under the program are voluntary.
Eight other states have established similar statewide spay/neuter programs. New Hampshire’s program has resulted in a significant decrease in the euthanasia of shelter dogs and cats as well as reduced animal control costs.
Surgeries would be performed by a network of private, public, and nonprofit veterinary clinics throughout Washington. This effort is needed to help end the tragic consequences of pet overpopulation in our state: Tens of thousands of healthy, adoptable animals are euthanized each year due to space limitations in shelters and lack of available homes.
To help you understand SB 5329/HB 1406 and its impact on you and others in the veterinary community, please read this page and explore other sections of this website. If you have additional questions, be sure to contact Rick Hall, co-coordinator for Save Washington Pets. His email address is rick@savewashingtonpets.org.
Like you, the many people who support SB 5329/HB 1406 care deeply about the welfare of companion animals. After learning more about this bill, we would welcome your support of SB 5329/HB 1406. Please let us know that you're behind this bill. We will need your help to get this bill passed in 2010!
Facts for Veterinarians: SB 5329/HB 1406
1. Participation by any veterinarian in the spay/neuter program is entirely voluntary. Because it is voluntary, the program was designed to be attractive to veterinarians. As is the practice in other states, it minimizes administrative burdens. And it ensures that veterinary spay/neuter surgery providers receive fair and reasonable compensation.
2. About $10 million per year will be directed to our state’s veterinary community to perform spay/neuter surgeries.
3. Surgeries would be performed on dogs and cats belonging to low-income individuals. Funds would also be used to spay/neuter feral and free-roaming cats. To the extent funds are available, funds would also help pay for spay/neuter surgeries for dogs and cats in the possession of animal shelters and animal rescue organizations. That’s important to help ensure those pets are altered before adoption.
4. The program would be funded by a small fee on pet food (about 3 cents per pound). It is not a retail sales tax. The fee supplements an existing pet-food inspection fee already being paid to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) by companies that distribute cat and dog food in our state.
5. The program will save tens of thousands of cats’ and dogs’ lives. We know spay/neuter programs are effective and the most humane solution to the companion animal overpopulation crisis.
6. An effective, statewide spay/neuter program will pay off financially—over the long run, it costs more in animal control and sheltering costs to handle unwanted animals than it does to perform spay/neuter surgeries.
7. Dogs that are intact are much more likely to cause serious bite injuries to people which can result in liability and insurance claims. Providing affordable, accessible spay/neuter surgery for dogs belonging to low-income individuals will help reduce the risk of serious dog bite injuries and accompanying claims.
If you run a private veterinary clinic and wish to participate to help low-income pet owners obtain spay/neuter surgeries for their pets, here’s how it would work:
a. The lead agency (WSDA) would encourage private veterinary clinics to enroll as spay/neuter surgery providers, and ask them to provide their list of fees for performing spay/neuter surgeries.
b. WSDA would review fees and establish agreements with veterinary clinics for performing spay/neuter surgeries. Fees that are usual, customary and reasonable are allowed as defined by the spay/neuter bill. Your clinic’s prevailing fees for spay/neuter surgery (fees you charge to private clients) are acceptable, provided that they are within the 80th percentile of the statewide or regional prevailing rates. If your prevailing spay/neuter surgery fees were higher than this, you would be welcome to participate in the network, but at a rate that falls within the 80th percentile. It is expected that rates of reimbursement would be established for categories of spay/neuter surgeries, such a feline neuter, feline spay, canine neuter (various weight ranges), canine spay (various weight ranges), and for special circumstances (to be determined, but likely to include factors such as cryptorchid males, pregnant or in heat females, etc.).
c. Pet owners interested in having their pets spayed or neutered under this program would go through a simple application process and provide verification that they are low income. Participating private veterinarians may screen applicants, but are not required to do the screening.
d. Applicants that are approved receive a voucher for spay/neuter surgery for his or her pets. That person may take his or her pets to any participating spay/neuter surgery provider. The pet owner would pay no more than $10 for each cat spay/neuter surgery and no more than $20 for each dog spay/neuter surgery--the copayment amounts set by WSDA.
e. The veterinary clinic would send invoices to WSDA for reimbursement for spay/neuter surgeries performed under the program. Copies of approved spay/neuter surgery vouchers from clients would accompany the invoices.
f. WSDA would pay the veterinary clinic for its services.
Note: SB 5329/HB 1406 authorize payment for presurgical examinations of pets and for vaccinations. Details concerning eligible procedures subject to reimbursement would be established by WSDA.
If enacted, implementation of SB 5329/HB 1406 will require WSDA to establish guidelines and policies to effectively and efficiently administer the statewide spay/neuter program (see Section 6 of SB 5329/HB 1406).