ROSWELL, N.M. – If you’ve ever adopted a pet, you know by law, pet owners are required to have their pets spayed and neutered. It’s usually part of the adoption process. 

Now, the Roswell Animal Shelter is handing that responsibility to the owners. 

“This life-saving policy was put in place that will allow us to send animals into adoptive homes, and will allow animals to be reclaimed by their owners without having the burden of being sterilized prior to being released,” said Ramon Villatoro with Best Friend Animal Society.

Villatoro says this new policy is intended to provide much-needed help for the Roswell Animal Shelter. 

“With this new policy that improves animals time in the shelter. So it reduces exposure to infectious diseases, it reduces illnesses, it reduces stress. There are just so overwhelming benefits to reducing the length of time that an animal has in our shelter,” said Villatoro.

Under the policy, adopters will have to pay a $25 refundable deposit and sign a sterilization agreement. That means they have up to 30 days to have any animal altered and provide us proof with the sterilization.

“For animals who are six months and under, they have up until that animal reaches six months of age to follow through with the sterilization,” Villatoro said.

There are many concerns about whether or not pet owners will follow through with the procedure. The shelter has systems in place to keep in contact with the owners.

The big concern now is the amount of animals on the euthanasia list. 

“That previous model kind of supported was the euthanasia of animals to make space for incoming animals because we would have animals sitting and taking up space. This new policy, instead of relying on euthanasia as a tool, we’re really focusing on trusting the community, getting animals out into their homes. So that we can free up space for incoming animals without resorting to euthanasia,” said Villatoro.