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A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT THE CITY WOULD BE ALL TALK AND NO ACTION WHEN IT CAME TO THE NEW SPAY AND NEUTERING LAW THAT WENT INTO EFFECT IN JULY. BUT WE'VE LEARNED THAT'S NOT SO. JOE VIGIL HAS THE NUMBERS TO PROVE IT. HE'S AT A SOUTHWEST ALBUQUERQUE DOG PARK WITH A LOOK. A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE WONDERING HOW THE SPAY NEUTER ORDINANCE WOULD EVEN BE ENFORCED. IT IS---JUST ASK ALL THE PEOPLE WHO'VE RECEIVED TICKETS AND COURT DATES. TOO MANY PETS DYING FROM EUTHANASIA ... AND THEN DUMPED INTO THE CITY LANDFILL. IT'S ONE REASON CITY COUNCILOR SALLY MEYER SAID ENOUGH AND AUTHORED THE HEART ORDINANCE REQUIRING SPAY AND NEUTERING. "Murphy I've had for two years." JULIA CONLOGUE IS A FOSTER MOM TO DOGS ... AND SUPPORTS SPAY AND NEUTER ENFORCEMENT. "There are too many dogs and cats that don't have homes." AFTER CALLING AROUND TODAY THIS IS WHAT WE FOUND. SINCE APRIL 10TH ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICERS HAVE WRITTEN 242 TICKETS TO OWNERS WHO DIDN'T SPAY OR NEUTER. AND CLOSE TO 400 TICKETS TO THOSE WHO DIDN'T MICROCHIP THEIR PET. "We're not out sweeping areas looking for these types of violations." LT. EARL BACA SAYS ON SERVICE CALLS... SUCH AS A BARKING DOG ...THEY ASK OWNERS ABOUT THEIR PETS. IF THEY'RE IN VIOLATION THE OWNERS GET A TICKET AND END UP IN FRONT OF A JUDGE. FINES CAN RANGE UP TO 500 DOLLARS WITH 90 DAYS IN JAIL. "I've seen people get up to 300 dollar fines. I haven't seen any jail time."BUT THE LT. SAYS COMPLIANCE IS WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AND NOT STIFF FINES. HE SAYS THE COURTS ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH PEOPLE. IN SOME CASES COURT DATES ARE BEING PUSHED BACK SO PEOPLE HAVE MORE TIME TO GET THEIR PET SPAYED OR NEUTERED. AND WHEN THEY SHOW UP IN COURT WITH PROOF ...SOME ARE SIMPLY PAYING COURT COSTS WITH LITTLE OR NO FINE. BECAUSE THE HEART ORDINANCE IS STILL SO NEW OFFICIALS DON'T KNOW YET EXACTLY HOW IT'S IMPACTING THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS PUT DOWN. BUT AT THE END OF THE 2007 FISCAL YEAR WHICH ENDED IN JUNE 13- THOUSAND 900 ANIMALS ENDED UP IN THE LANDFILL. COMPARED TO MORE THAN 15-THOUSAND THE YEAR BEFORE. A-P-S IS WORKING