The first showdown between supporters and opponents of a law that would mandate spaying and neutering for cats and dogs was expectedly heated Tuesday at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting.

Right off the top, county staff jumped in with rebuttals to expected claims from opponents that similar laws in other counties have not decreased animal-shelter overcrowding and have increased enforcement costs.

"Spay-and-neuter ordinances have worked in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties," said Michele Mickiewicz, county public health interim deputy director, at the outset of the two-hour hearing in Santa Barbara.

And any additional costs concerned salary adjustments and were unrelated to ordinance enforcement, she added.

Despite the staffs' precautions, many people disputed these claims, and argued that not only have such ordinances proven ineffective and expensive in other communities, they also punish responsible pet owners.

However, there were many if not more people who declared that the ordinance would provide welcome weight behind efforts to alter unsupervised pets.

A representative for Catalyst for Cats, a organization that aims to humanely trap, neuter and release feral felines, said volunteers often offer free alterations, but if owners refuse, then there is no recourse.

A spay-and-neuter ordinance would add some bite to their bark, the animal shelter volunteers said Tuesday.

No decisions will be made until residents in the North County also have had a chance - next Tuesday - to weigh in on the controversial topic, Supervisor Joe Centeno said.

Also, speakers only get one chance to weigh in, so those who commented Tuesday are asked to hold their peace next week.

The proposed amendments to the county's dog-licensing ordinance allows owners, who have a certificate from their veterinarian, to purchase an unaltered animal license and save their pets from being spayed or neutered.

Otherwise, "for every owner in the county who owns a dog or cat over six months of age ... the owner shall have the dog or cat spayed or neutered," the proposed ordinance states.

County animal shelters and volunteer organizations have been over-burdened with the number of homeless animals for years, and the solution is to build new facilities, euthanize more animals or stop animals from producing unwanted litters, Mickiewicz said.

In this case, a spay-and-neuter ordinance, which includes an out for responsible pet owners, fits the county's resources best, she added.

County staff said an 11-member volunteer task force also sent the Board of Supervisors a recommendation to implement a pilot program that encompasses increased outreach and education to achieve a higher rate of dog and cat licensing compliance.

There is also a hope of opening the door to grant funding in order to begin low- or no-cost spay-and-neuter clinics through county animal services.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meets Nov. 10 at the Betteravia Government Center at 511 E. Lakeside Parkway in Santa Maria.

For more information visit countyofsb.org.