A bill that would regulate a chemical used to sterilize deer and other animals passed the Iowa Senate today. The the bill would limit the use of the drug to the Department of Natural Resources and animal control officers Senator David Johnson, a Republican from Ocheyedan, criticized the bill, saying the drug isn’t even on the market yet.
Johnson says, "Isn’t this a case of putting the cart before Bambi? If the FDA hasn’t approved this yet, the best contraceptives for deer are a sharp arrow or a slug down the barrel." Senator Joe Seng, a Democrat from Davenport who is also a veterinarian, said the drug will be a useful tool.
Seng says: "If this drug comes on the market, they could control the cat population by using on cats. If you can’t catch them, you can dart them and then they wouldn’t be reproducing and messing up your gardens." The Iowa Senate approved the bill 41-8 going along with the House which already approved the bill, and it now goes to the governor.