LA City Council Unanimously Supports Spay/Neuter Bill (Cal.)

[Rene Allegrini]

This is, I'm sure, only the beginning of a trend across the entire country.

MyFox Los Angeles | LA City Council Unanimously Supports Spay/Neuter Bill

Los Angeles -- The Los Angeles City Council unanimously announced its support today for a state bill that would require pet owners to sterilize their dogs and cats by the time the cuddly companions reach four months of age.


AB 1634 was introduced by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, as part of an effort to decrease euthanization rates of unwanted pets at animal shelters statewide.

A violator would receive a "fix-it" citation, requiring the pet owner to sterilize their cat or dog within 30 days, or up to 75 days with a note from a veterinarian. Those who fail to comply would face a $500 fine.

Funds raised from the fines would be earmarked for enforcement and low- cost pet sterilization programs.

The proposed measure would allow local municipalities to make exceptions for breeders who can demonstrate their pets are purebreds listed on one of several registries.

The council vote was 12-0, with Bernard Parks, Jan Perry and Dennis Zine absent from the meeting.

"The Los Angeles City Council's action today should send a clear signal to all Californians that AB 1634 is a huge step forward in the drive to combat pet overpopulation and to reduce the killing of hundreds of thousands of animals in California's shelters every year," Levine said.

"Mandatory spay and neuter programs have proven to be smart, sensible, compassionate and effective approaches wherever they have been tried," the lawmaker said.

Levine's bill is scheduled for consideration by the Assembly's Business and Professions Committee on April 24.

[fbkeays]

Originally Posted by Rene Allegrini

This is, I'm sure, only the beginning of a trend across the entire country.

MyFox Los Angeles | LA City Council Unanimously Supports Spay/Neuter Bill


"Mandatory spay and neuter programs have proven to be smart, sensible, compassionate and effective approaches wherever they have been tried," the lawmaker said.

I guess if you say it long enough, someone will start to believe it, but the facts speak for themselves. Mandatory spay and neuter laws do not work. They are not smart, not sensible and not compassionate and certainly are not effective. My own county is the poster child for it not working. Hence there really is no mandatory spay and neuter any more.

[hokisteph5]

While the goal is admirable, I think the manner is flawed. I'm also guessing that one of the registries that will be recognized is the CKC (Continental, not Canadian) which is a whole other debate.

[fbkeays]

Originally Posted by hokisteph5

While the goal is admirable, I think the manner is flawed. I'm also guessing that one of the registries that will be recognized is the CKC (Continental, not Canadian) which is a whole other debate.

The biggest problem that I see is that very few poeple that would be in the position of deciding what is recognized and what isn't, doesn't have a clue about dog registries, dog shows and the like.
My own club was denied booth space to do CGCs and provide breed information (including why NOT to breed your rottweiler and how to find a reputable breeder) at a pet fair that was hosted by the San Francisco SPCA because our club has "breeders" as members. The SPCA would not even look at our material because they already had preconcieved notions that we would be telling everyone to breed their dogs and pimp our own. Most people in the position of deciding what is acceptable and what isn't thinks that everyone that has intact animals automatically breed them and that all breeders are the scum of the earth.
I don't think I am paranoid when I say that the fees will be in the upper 3 digits per year and there will be very little that will be approved.
The author has updated the bill. In some ways it is "better", but that "better" is still subjective. Subjective is scary. Especially when it is on the shoulders of my local AC.

[goforit]

I wonder if this has anything to do the the huge number of so called "designer dogs" that I have been reading about. These seem to be very popular in LA. I have done a lot of reading on this topic pros and cons and still have very mixed feelings about this. Does anyone know if the AKC has accepted some of these yet? Some articals said yes, and others said no.