SACRAMENTO, California: A law forcing pet owners to de-sex their mixed-breed dogs and cats, described by critics as animal "genocide", is a step closer to reality.
The California Healthy Pets Act would require all pet owners with a dog or cat over four months of age to have their pets spayed or neutered, unless the owner has previously been issued with a permit.
The legislation calls for fines of $500 for pet owners who fail to comply. The Bill, sponsored by Assembly member Lloyd Levine, recently passed an appropriations committee hearing.
According to the California State Assembly website, exemptions will be given to show and sporting dogs, law-enforcement canines, animals used in search and rescue, pets that are too old or in poor health and guide, service and signal animals.
While supporters of the Bill say it is a victory for common sense, opponents say the bill is discriminatory, favors purebred pets over mixed breeds and is a step towards 'animal eugenics".
“Every year, hundreds of thousands of perfectly healthy and adoptable pets are euthanazed by overcrowded shelters that are unable to find them good homes – we need a common sense approach to solve this problem,” Assembly member Levine said.
According to Fox News, supporters of the Bill, including L.A. Animal Services and the California Veterinary Medical Association, say it would have two effects. Firstly, in California, over 800,000 lost and homeless dogs and cats are rescued by Animal Services every year, with more than half being euthanased.
Secondly, they say the state of California would save millions from its $250 million budget to house, care for and euthanase unwanted animals (budget figure supplied by Levine).
|
“Four hundred thousand homeless animals are killed every year in our state alone. This is simply unacceptable.” Lisa Carter, Santa Cruz SPCA
|
Judie Mancuso, California Healthy Pets Coalition campaign director, said the Bill is better than having thousands of unwanted animals dumped in shelters. “The California Healthy Pets Act will save taxpayers millions and provide a humane alternative to euthanasing hundreds of thousands of unwanted animals who end up in our local shelters,” she said.
Santa Cruz SPCA director Lisa Carter told ABC7News: "Four hundred thousand homeless animals are killed every year in our state alone. This is simply unacceptable. Today's vote brings us one step closer to saving these lives and becoming a no-kill society."
However, critics have described the California Healthy Pets Act as discriminatory, an invasion of privacy, genetically questionable and likely to force the prices of new puppies and kittens through the roof.
According to ABC7News, the American Kennel Club, the American Dog Breeders Association and countless local dog clubs have issued statements against the Bill.
|
“When you make the decision on what I can do with my pet, you are taking my right of pet ownership with my pet away.” Wayne Sheldon,Sacramento Council of Dog Clubs
|
Breeders reportedly say the bill will be difficult to enforce and could decimate 'unofficial' rare breeds. Hank Greenwood, vice president of the American Dog Breeders Association told ABC7News that the bill was "genocide with every dog (male and female) altered."
Many breeders also say the Bill would destroy dogs bred for performance and temperament, rather than pedigree. According to Fox News, many breeders and service animal groups say that the legislation will make it much more expensive for them to do business. Under the Bill, animals owned by such groups would avoid the mandatory spay and neutering, but would have to pay higher permit fees to keep their animals intact. They told Fox that these higher fees would, in turn, drive their businesses underground, and they would be forced to avoid licensing altogether.
Wayne Sheldon, president of the Sacramento Council of Dog Clubs, said his pets are not the government's business, and that the Bill was an intrusion of privacy. He claimed that "when you make the decision on what I can do with my pet, you are taking my right of pet ownership with my pet away."
Some opposition groups instead claim that educating the public about responsible pet ownership is the only answer to the problem of unwanted animals.
Richard Hayes, of the Center for Genetics and Society in San Francisco, told ABC7News the bill may also have broader implications for society at large, saying the bill "sounds like eugenics for pets. The consumerist desire for genetically 'perfect' pets is not a healthy trend, and has larger implications for how we regard ourselves, our children and each other."
it's true. so many unwanted pets do get 'put to sleep' in animal shelters everywhere. despite the best efforts to get as much of these poor animals adopted by loving new owners, the truth is, so many more strays are being brought in everyday.
i'm all for mandatory spaying and neutering, especially for strays. but for my own pets? i have two mix-breed cats myself. i think i've been responsible enough to have my kitties spayed- but if i wanted them to have kittens, i think i should be able to enjoy that right too.
I think this idea is absolutely beyond wonderful. As an animal rescuer and a foster for my local Animal Control facility who's euthanasia rate is probably and honestly 95%, I am ALL FOR mandatory spay/neuters. I personally think it should be a law in ALL the states in America, period.
The sooner uneducated people realize that it isn't just the "strays" but in many cases, their very own pets, that re produce creating hundreds of thousands of unwanted litters, the better off this world will be. Many people have a "head in the sand" mentality when it comes to educating themselves about what TRULY goes on behind the shelter doors.
If you've never had to sit and endure "healthy lively lick your face wiggly puppy, dog syndrome", while you're killing an animal situation, please, go to your local shelter on their euth day ( my shelter euths 7 days a week) and ask to be educated and present during their 8am morning killing ritual.
Shelter workers, Animal Control officers, et c get no pleasure from killing, they have no choice because WE, the society have been irresponsible, period and SOMEONE has to kill these animals because there's NO WHERE for them to go.
When another suffers because of someone's irresponsibity then the idea of rights becomes moot. If someone feels the need to keep their animals intact, then they should not have to pay, in money, just in time. 20 hours (per animal) of work at the local pound should prove their commitment to being a responsible pet owner when they breed their pet. Talk is cheap. When you see the results of droves of unaltered animals and the conditions they must briefly exist in before being put down, then the reality of people's "rights" vs. animal's lives.
I am presently fostering 8 cats from the pound. The conditions were appalling and although I saved 8, at least 20 were going to be put down that day. For every responsible pet owner who will actually care for their animals and offspring there are 10 out there who do not.
As an animal rescuer, I am all in favor of this law. I've seen too much unneccessary abuse, neglect and death of innocent life due to irresponsible pet owners. There is no good reason why a typical pet owner would need to have an unaltered pet.
In the article, opponents of the law relate it to "genocide". This is ridciculous. Why, when it benefits them, do they project human characteristics to an act involving an animal? Then, these same opponents refer to them as being property and state that nobody should be able to tell them what to do with their property. I'm sure these are the same folks that see these creatures as "just a dog or just a cat".
Pet ownership is a responsibility and as such, if you can't be responsible, maybe it's time for the government to step up. Of course, spay/neuter education would be the ideal method, but as has been proven time and time again, many folks don't want to listen. That is why over 400,000 animals in California shelters are put down each year.
I would like nothing more than to have to stop the work I do with rescue. This will only happen if people stop their pets from producing unwanted offspring
We have adopted unwanted pets from shelters for years and rescued puppy mill dogs and dogs off the street. One of the first humane acts we do is to have then spayed/neutered. There are too many people who allow their dogs/cats to run the neighborhoods and then we have unwanted litters of puppies or cats and homes can't be found for all of them so they are given to the local shelters. How terrible. Be responsible - do the right thing for them and the babies who are unwanted and will suffer. There are too many good people suffering with the jobs of euthanizing these beautiful animals. Don't buy purebreeds - go to the shelters and anyone who doesn't want to spay/neuter then they should pay a fine/tax for the privilege.
Hooray for the state of California and Mr. Levine for caring about the obscene number of unwanted and dumped pets by irresponsible people. Shame on the American Kennel Club and the breeders who see these innocent animals as no more than their "product" in most cases. I'm in animal rescue and the sights we see are reprehensible, even by some "so-called rescues and responsible breeders." If the law did pass it would be hard to enforce, but the state would have to provide a system of low-cost spay/neuter clinics. Many people want their pets fixed but vets motivated only by profit make it impossible for some people to afford. It would save so much money and heartache in a short time.
Please people--be sensible--not idealistic or greedy. These are precious little lives that suffer needlessly.
When a puppy or adult dog from your litter goes to the tax supported shelter THEN "YOUR DOG YOUR RIGHT" BECOMES MY PROBLEM!
If you have pet quality animals and you allow them to breed and produce uncontrolled amounts of offspring you are the ones responsible to the amount of animals that are killed every day not only in the pet shelters and pounds but by cars, farmers and rancher tired of having animals dumped on them or having them chase and kill livestock. Indiscriminate breeding of pets is a huge problem, anyone wanting to see the miracle of birth should go to the shelters and watch the miracle of death as these abandoned animals are destroyed. You want the miracle of birth rent a video. Raising good quality animals is hard work and it is expensive to get healthy animals good homes. It is time to face up to the facts that we are the only ones who can control the pet overpopulation and this is a humane way to do so.
Would a two to four year moratorium be a possible idea? I do rescue and am just sick at the number of dogs out there that we can't help due to space and money.
Or we could also track the advertisements for puppies/kittens, go the the home and charge or require a "license to sell".
As a pet owner, and a Veterinary Technician, I can understand owners argument of feeling the lose of their rights of ownership with this bill. But I can also understand where the goverment is coming from with this bill. They have the best interest of all animals over all in their heart. Whether or not this bill would take away owners rights over their pets, I do not know. But I can only hope that this bill would help with the overpopulation of pets and those pets that are destroyed every year in shelters. Only 1 out of 10 animal in Shelters actually find homes. That is a terrible, terrible statistic.
As an animal lover, I can agree and relate to what this bill hopes to do and change. I own 5 dogs, all which are mixed breeds. They are great, sweet, and the nicest dogs I know. I am sure this may hurt breeders business. And for that I am sorry, but something must be done to stop the statistic of those that are destroyed each year. I do, however, hope this p uts a damper on puppymills.
I am very happy to hear the government is taking a step towards reducing the pet population, however, I think pet owners should have to purchase a license to breed. Thereafter, the pet should only be allowed a certain number of births per life span per pet. Breed should not matter, as mixed breed dogs and cats are crutial to the population. Just because an animal is a pure breed does not mean that it's owner will be a responsible pet parent, nor does it mean it's owner will be a responsible breeder. Generally speaking mixed breed dogs and cats have less health and genetic problems than pure breeds do. This has to be taken into consideration as well. We need to focus on how to fix the problem as a whole, not on how to cover it up.
Mandatory spay and neuter has very different consequences than voluntary. The rate of dogs ending up in the shelter has been dropping. Where there is mandatory spay and neuter it has dropped LESS than where there isn't. AB 1634 will increase abandonment and increase shelter killing. People will continue to irresponsibly get pets and dump them. Neither lives nor money will be saved.
Feral cats are more than half of the kill numbers. Why are we accepting and killing feral cats in our shelters? Other wild animals we leave alone unless they are a problem, they face the hardships of being a wild animal. Cats we do the special favor of killing them so they don't have to face a hard life. Free up resources and stop accepting and killing ferals. Our kill numbers will drop more than 50%. Support Trap Neuter Release.
I will cry if this passes, not because I want to breed (I don't) but because of all the additional animals that will die. For better solutions see No Kill Advocacy.
In truth, the facts do not support the claims being made in this proposed legislation. First, in locals where mandatory spay/neuter laws have been passed, the incidence of animals being killed in shelters did not decline, in fact, it increased.
Second, much of the cost of running shelters will not go down as they are "fixed" costs doing such things as keeping the electricity on, salaries etc. There are very prominent vets speeking out against this proposed law. The exemptions will not be sufficient. The working dogs for police depts and etc cannot even be assessed at such a young age much less be "trained/certified" working dogs. At this time, there is an increased need for these dogs.
Finally, let us be careful of what we inact that will retrict peoples rights to keep their animals as they chose. There are a number of grouops that have increadibly strange goals for our country. They are smart enough to know that most Americans would not agree with their true agenda. So they pick a topic that almost all people would agree on such as saving the lives of the poor animals killed in shelters. Of coarse, we all want that to happen. They then promote their chosen solution
Mandatory spay/neuter laws have failed to reduce shelter intake and euthanasia rates in every locality that enacted them. Education, low- or no-cost s/n, and enforcement of existing leash and at-large laws are much more effective. Laws that make criminals out of responsible pet owners have never and will never work. This bill is sponsored by HSUS and PeTA. Their agenda is the extinction of all domestic animals, including YOURS!
have we come to this? i really don't know how to react to this. one part of me agrees because we already have too many dogs and cats that will simply be put to sleep if no one adopts them. on the other hand, i don't know if i would be agreeable to neutering my pet. its so inhumane. its just so hard to decide on this.
This will NOT help curtail the pet population. This bill will only cause a flood of unwanted pets, or pets that an owner can not AFFORD to have neutered or spayed, to be released into the country or city. This bill is ridiculous, unwanted, and will only cause a huge burden on the States/Cities, etc... If Levine wants to help the ever exploding pet population, he needs to pass a bill that will make spaying and neutering FREE!!!
If you even remotely think this will curtail puppy mills --- you are sadly mistaken. They will just get a license and continue doing what they're doing > they make too much money to stop. How foolish it is to think anyone can think they can stop a greedy person from continuing to make their money.
MAKE NEUTERING AND SPAYING FREE, only then will the pet population be curtailed.
And to the vet tech that has 5 mixed breed dogs > what are you going to do when you want another dog and there won't be ANY of those crossbred dogs around, because of this dictatorship bill/law? Can you afford the astronomical price of the "licensed" breeders dogs? No, I dont' think so on your salary.
Think about the ripple effect this is going to cause. IT WILL effect and affect everyone, and I mean everyone -- pet owner or not. The ONLY way to curtail the pet population is to make a law that says neutering and spaying will be FREE.
even with neutering being required by some states, it still hasnt brought down the number of pets in shelters being put to sleep. we all have to think of something effective to put a stop the overpopulation of animals being put to sleep. its just too heart wrenching to see more than a million animals being put to sleep every year.
however inhumane it may be, neutering or spaying is the responsible thing to do. i still think that it is the lesser of two evils. i would rather do this than put to sleep millions of stray dogs and cats every year and the number keeps on growing exponentially. people should realize that even though there are responsible pet owners, there are a lot more irresponsible pet owners out there.
I think it is great that the state wants to get move involved with the overpopulation of pets. But I think they are going at it in the wrong way. Mixed breed dogs are becoming more popular - Designer Dogs are now more expensive than a pure bred dog, and for good reason. Pure bred dogs are more likely to be predisposed to genetic problems. A mixed breed dog comes from two fresh bloodlines.
I think that if the government wanted to restrict the number of unwanted dogs and cats then they should go to the source of the problem - where they come from. You can find an unlimited amount of animals for sale on petfinder.com or any other site. Go check them out. I liked the idea of making breeders have a license, as well as being checked up on. That is where the HSUS falls short, they lack the manpower to stop every puppy mill and BYB.
I also feel that as a regular pet owner there is no reason not to have your pet fixed. The one day you let you dog/cat out on it's own - or even if you bring your intact male to the dog park and some other not so bright person brings there female dog that is in heat, you still contributed to that unwanted litter of puppies by not having your dog nuetered.