PERU, Ind. -  

Peru dog owners are unhappy with a new city ordinance that will require them to pay higher registration fees if they don't spay or neuter their pets.

The City Council has approved a $40 fee for unaltered dogs as part of a new animal control ordinance designed to reduce the number of unwanted strays in the city.

Owners whose pets have had the surgery will pay $5.

Some dog owners say having a dog spayed or neutered should be the owner's choice. They also are questioning why the rule applies only to dogs and not to cats.

Peru Mayor Jim Walker said that unfixed dogs create a city-wide problem and that the higher fee is justified, the Kokomo Tribune reported.