[Laurelin]

Mandatory Spay and Neuter laws are a very controversial topic these days. Several states including California (Los Angeles), Colorado (Denver), Tennessee, and Massachusetts have been very active in the controversy. Several have even written bills requiring all canines be spayed or neutered. This thread covers LA's AB1634 bill. - Dave|Xoxide

Crossposted as mnay people here are interested in it:

NEW: Mandatory pet spay, neuter bill advances
By Steve Geissinger, MEDIANEWS SACRAMENTO BUREAU
Article Launched: 04/24/2007 12:30:26 PM PDT

SACRAMENTO -- After a delay to fix what lawmakers called serious flaws, a somewhat less ambitious statewide plan to force household pets to be spayed and neutered easily cleared its first, key legislative hurdle today. The measure by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, was approved by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee on a 7-2 vote, along party lines.

Levine backed off pushing for a vote on AB1634 two weeks ago at the request of the 10-member committee's chairman, Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park.

Levine vowed to accept amendments fixing mistakes, clarifying confusing provisions and addressing conflicting rules before an end-of-month deadline that would have killed the bill.

Concerns included no provisions for out-of-state visitors with unaltered pets, contradictory language regarding exemption of show dogs, and unclear exemptions for police and guide dogs.

Levine said the bill now "contains 20 common-sense exceptions" for a wide variety of pets, including even those that have won titles for contests ranging from obedience to herding.

The measure would force pet owners to spay or neuter the majority of cats and dogs by the time they're 4 months old.

Owners who fail to comply would be subject to a $500 fine if their pets are caught anywhere, ranging from the veterinarians' office, to a car, to the front yard.

Breeders' associations are among those who have opposed the bill, saying it places an unreasonable burden on them, in particular, as it relates to obtaining costly permits.

But representatives of the state Humane Association and similar groups support the bill, aimed at reducing euthanasia of what's been roughly estimated at a half-million feral and roaming animals annually in California.

The taxpayer cost is estimated at $250 million annually.

Levine said he looked at two programs run by Santa Cruz and Los Angeles in authoring his legislation.

Contact Steve Geissinger at sgeissinger@angnewspapers.com or (916) 447-9302.

Bad news guys.

[iwantmypup]

Omg..wait that means that my dog is ilegal? Shes 5 mo and not spayed

[Chloef_2799]

Thats not cool. Puppies should be six months to be spayed and neutered.....thats not safe at all.

[sillylilykitty]

What do they want to do, put dogs on the list of endangered species?

[Quincy]

Originally Posted by Laurelin

Bad news guys.

If this helps to reduce by well over 50% of the 800,000 dogs and cats in Californian shelters where most are killed, then some may see this as good news as it's finally a useful means to help remedy a big problem that's been going on for many years.
.

[Quincy]

Originally Posted by iwantmypup

Omg..wait that means that my dog is ilegal? Shes 5 mo and not spayed

It's a proposed new law going through various processes, so currently nobody would be fined for having a sexually entire dog over 4 months old.

If later it was to become law and if then you did want a sexually entire dog then simply apply for a permit to be exempt from the mandatory spay neuter law.
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[Quincy]

Originally Posted by Chloef_2799

Thats not cool. Puppies should be six months to be spayed and neutered.....thats not safe at all.

I think that you may not have obtained a puppy or kitten from a shelter where for years heaps of young puppies and kittens have been desexed.

Early spay and neuter surgeries performed on cats and dogs before the age of sixteen weeks has been safely and effectively practiced in the United States for over 25 years. The nation’s highest esteemed veterinary medical health professionals all advocate early spay and neuter in cats and dogs to combat pet overpopulation. These animal health leaders include the American Veterinary Medical Association (“AVMA”), the California Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights, HSUS, ASPCA, UC Davis Veterinary College and other respected veterinary colleges.
More information and references via this address:-
http://www.cahealthypets.com/pdf/The...and%20Dogs.pdf
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[squirt1968]

I only have one comment:Government is too BIG

[Quincy]

Originally Posted by sillylilykitty

What do they want to do, put dogs on the list of endangered species?

It will not put dogs on the list of endangered species. What's proposed in California is based on what happened in Santa Cruz County where there they introduced mandatory spay neutering in 1995, and in Santa Cruz County dogs certainly were not put on the list of endangered species. Maybe you should have a chat to some breeders and pet owners in Santa Cruz.
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[Quincy]

Originally Posted by squirt1968

I only have one comment:Government is too BIG

And they have a BIG PROBLEM to deal with in 800,000 dogs and cats in shelters where most will be killed as homes cannot be found. This sort of thing cannot go on year after year and it's about time it was addressed.
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[Quincy]

This sounds responsible where the American Kennel Club encourages pet owners to spay or neuter their dogs, and the below from this address:-
http://www.akc.org/vetoutreach/q&a.cfm

Spaying and Neutering?

The American Kennel Club encourages pet owners to spay or neuter their dogs as a responsible means to prevent an accidental breeding resulting in unwanted puppies. The American Kennel Club encourages breeders to discuss spaying and neutering options with puppy buyers who do not wish to participate in conformation events.

The AKC welcomes spayed and neutered dogs to participate in all phases of obedience, tracking, herding, lure coursing, earthdog, agility, Canine Good Citizenship Test and Junior Showmanship, as well as most field work.
.

[sillylilykitty]

Originally Posted by Quincy

This sounds responsible where the American Kennel Club encourages pet owners to spay or neuter their dogs, and the below from this address:-
http://www.akc.org/vetoutreach/q&a.cfm

Spaying and Neutering?

The American Kennel Club encourages pet owners to spay or neuter their dogs as a responsible means to prevent an accidental breeding resulting in unwanted puppies. The American Kennel Club encourages breeders to discuss spaying and neutering options with puppy buyers who do not wish to participate in conformation events.

The AKC welcomes spayed and neutered dogs to participate in all phases of obedience, tracking, herding, lure coursing, earthdog, agility, Canine Good Citizenship Test and Junior Showmanship, as well as most field work.
.

If this bill passes it might come up and pass in other states as well. This bill would run Breeders out of their personal money (since they dont make much off the dogs/cats). The rules are too strict! I know in the cat show business, a kitten must be no younger than 4 months before it can attend a show! I heard a dog has to be at least 6 months! So in order for a cat to be in a show the breeding must be done on a schedule where the kitten turns 4 months and goes to a show that month which would be extremely hard to do.

Dont get me wrong, spaying and neutering should be done with all just pet dogs and cats.

[Quincy]

Originally Posted by sillylilykitty

If this bill passes it might come up and pass in other states as well. This bill would run Breeders out of their personal money (since they dont make much off the dogs/cats). The rules are too strict! I know in the cat show business,

If the Bill passes and in years to comes if it's proven to be effective in addressing problems as it did in Santa Cruz then probably yes in years to come it certainly might pass in to other states which have similar problems.

If the cat organizations are concerned with anything regarding AB1634 then by now they should have listed their grievances and offered their constructive suggestions in addressing the problems to those who are in the process of making this new law that could help in remedying the problems, the same applies with dogs. At this stage the new law process is pretty well advanced, but there is still time where some constructive amendments maybe added before it is too late. Keep in mind that once the proposed law goes through all the law making process and later becomes law, then it will be very difficult to change or make ammedments.

I don't know about cats as primarily I'm interested in dogs. The Bill will NOT run Dog Breeders out of their personal money. Simply all they have to do is pay for the exemption fee what I feel so far has been proposed at about $100, and when they sell say a litter of 5 pups they pass that on to the puppy purchasers and that would be about $20 per pup, so in effect this new proposed Bill costs Dog Breeder nothing $0.
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[Captbob]

Originally Posted by Quincy

If this helps to reduce by well over 50% of the 800,000 dogs and cats in Californian shelters where most are killed, then some may see this as good news as it's finally a useful means to help remedy a big problem that's been going on for many years.
.

People just don't like change even when it's for the better for dogs and cats.

[Laurelin]

Originally Posted by Captbob

People just don't like change even when it's for the better for dogs and cats.

No, some people just don't like their rights being stripped away.

[LeRoymydog]

Originally Posted by Laurelin

No, some people just don't like their rights being stripped away.

I agree... our rights. What's next?

[Curbside Prophet]

http://www.ab1634.com/Files/BILL_ANALYSIS_4-23-07.pdf

Yes, this is a great law. A law that's written such that industrial breeders are exempt? Does this make any sense to anyone. If the goal is to "reduce" s/n incidents, why aren't industrial breeders included in this bill? Do you know that a puppy mill is an industrial breeder. IF breeders are the problem (which I still believe we're wagging the dog with the tail), why aren't there stricter provisions for the worst offenders? IF euthanasia is so expensive to the state (yes, it's about cost, not lives), why not control owners. How is this law going to be enforced when local jurisdictions can't even enforce thier current licensing laws?

[cshellenberger]

Quincy,
There are certain breeds that indeed 4 months is WAY too young. All the large and giant breeds mature much more slowly and early spay nueter puts the dogs at risk of complications such as spay incontenence.

Also, this law is nearly unenforceable. The majority of people who wish to Back yard breed will simply NOT register their dogs. AC would have to prtty much go door to door to enforce this. Better laws need to be written with the involvement of responsible breeders to target Puppy Mills and BYB. Starting with a law that makes it illegal to sell dogsn and cats in Petstores and swap meets, but allows for 501c3 rescue adoptions in the stores and at adoption fairs. THAT would effect change.

[Quincy]

cshellenberger, the certain breeds you maybe refering to probably would have been present in Santa Cruz County, and all other things you mentioned probably would have also been present and had been thought about. Now think about was there any actual problems from early spay neutering and if there was I feel it would have been splattered everywhere in the media. Now think of the following and similar results maybe obtained throughout California if the Santa Cruz model was similarly applied.

"Santa Cruz County implemented a mandatory spay and neuter law in 1995. Within two years, the county began to see a noticable reduction in the number of animals entering its shelters. Within eight years, despite a 15 percent growth in the county’s human population, the number of animals entering Santa Cruz County shelters had been cut in half."

.

[Quincy]

Personally I think the bill is a good thing, we (as a society) have to find solutions to the horrific pet overpopulation crisis and the mass killing of pets. The whole purpose of the Bill is to help address this and it does as seen in the Santa Cruz model. Breeders can obtain exemptions and what it costs them they will pass on to puppy buyers, so it's the pet owners that this Bill really targets and it's the pet owners who create the massive demand for puppies. It certainly seems wrong for all of us responsible pet owners to have to pick up the slack and spay neuter, but that's just the way it is like it or not, we (as a society) have to find solutions to the horrific pet overpopulation crisis and the mass killing of pets. Those who can offer a better solution then please contact those directly involved with the Bill.
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