CA Dog owners - new proposed legislation limits your rights! (Sacramento: prices, law)

[misfitz]

If you own a dog in our lovely state of California, please read this information about what the proposed new mandatory spay-neuter bills, SB 250, will mean to you. This legislation adversely affects dog owners, guide & service dog owners, SAR dogs, 4-H members, and guide dog puppy raisers. Please take a moment to call or fax your Assembly representative and ask them to oppose this bill.

While it may sound like a good idea on the surface, mandatory spay-neuter laws have been shown to actually *raise* shelter deaths in places where they have been passed. It is not a solution to shelter overcrowding, and will affect responsible pet owners as well as the above stated service dog organizations.

More info:

Save Our Dogs » Response to SB 250 Misinformation
Save Our Dogs » California SB 250 – Mandatory Spay/Neuter – immediate action required
http://www.dpca.org/Legisltv/documents/FailureOfMSN.pdf
San Mateo County Pet Overpopulation Ordinance
Mandatory Spay/Neuter

Read and decide for yourself!

[steel7]

Even if this becomes law im sure the state wont know you have dogs unless code enforcement starts snooping around. We have the worse legislature in ca history so im not the least bit surprised. Ca is over-lawed BIG time.

[native56]

Our esteemed lawmakers in Sacramento pass over 1000 new laws each year. Nice to know that they are watching over us so closely.

[Alley01]

Very unlikely to pass without more revisions. But, I would imagine most responsible pet owners spay and neuter their animals regardless. The only ones freaking out are the breeders. The argument that spaying and neutering actually raises the amount of animals killed is ridiculous. Especially considering that no place like that exists in the United States and probably never will. Check your facts please.

[misfitz]

Originally Posted by steel7

Even if this becomes law im sure the state wont know you have dogs unless code enforcement starts snooping around.

Which they have actually started doing in some places:

Courier Leader - County officers have begun door-to-door dog license check

Kansas City animal control cracking down on unlicensed pets - Kansas City News - Plog

Animal Control Officers Canvassing Topanga Canyon - Topanga Messenger Newspaper

Or, a neighbor could file a barking dog complaint on you, and animal control shows up. Or your gardener could leave the gate open, and your dog escape....

[steel7]

A few yrs back the city of yucaipa did their door to door knocking for dog licenses. I have cats only & if a law was made to license cats i would tell them i have no cats. Mine are indoors only.

[misfitz]

Originally Posted by Alley01

Very unlikely to pass without more revisions. But, I would imagine most responsible pet owners spay and neuter their animals regardless. The only ones freaking out are the breeders. The argument that spaying and neutering actually raises the amount of animals killed is ridiculous. Especially considering that no place like that exists in the United States and probably never will. Check your facts please.

You're not quite understanding the point here. Spaying and neutering doesn't raise the amount of animals killed. REQUIRING s/n by law, and punishing owners who don't comply by fining them or impounding their animals, causes shelter impounds numbers to rise. Which means more animals killed.

Did you read the links I posted? Every place that has a law like this has reported an increase in shelter impounds since the law was put into effect. Many people, when faced with punitive fines they can't pay, surrender their animals. I challenge you to find one city or state, that has enacted a law like this, and had shelter impound rates fall.

[misfitz]

Update:

SB 250 was voted on four times today, and each time it failed to pass. The last vote tally was 33 Yes, 40 No, 5 Not voting. The vote tabulation can be found here.
But it’s not over yet, because reconsideration was granted again.
This means that the Assembly might vote on SB 250 once again on Friday, or perhaps Monday or Tuesday if the Assembly reconvenes next week. Tuesday is the last day the legislature can vote on bills according to the state Constitution.

It is close, and this could pass. Hopefully not.

Save Our Dogs » SB 250 fails to pass – but reconsideration granted

[Alley01]

Originally Posted by misfitz

You're not quite understanding the point here. Spaying and neutering doesn't raise the amount of animals killed. REQUIRING s/n by law, and punishing owners who don't comply by fining them or impounding their animals, causes shelter impounds numbers to rise. Which means more animals killed.

Did you read the links I posted? Every place that has a law like this has reported an increase in shelter impounds since the law was put into effect. Many people, when faced with punitive fines they can't pay, surrender their animals. I challenge you to find one city or state, that has enacted a law like this, and had shelter impound rates fall.

I read the links but they are all opinion - none cite actual facts from actual structured studies. There are no long-term studies. One could argue that if someone cannot afford their animals, they shouldn't have them in the first place. Spaying and Neutering would become more affordable and there would be more resources for owners if this was a requirement. Although an odd comparison, it would end up being a regulated procedure similar to emissions tests for cars. Initially, the tests were different prices depending on where you went. Then, when it was required, all emissions testing was to be one price. Regardless, less animals will be killed in shelters if something like this passes. The only reason our local kill shelters end up euthanizing is when puppy/kitten season arrives. You don't see many singleton litters - instead you see at least six. If we didn't have puppies and kittens being turned in, the lifespan of animals in kill shelters would go up.

I am all for reputable breeders continuing to breed as there are far too many that are out there to make money.

Regardless, enforcing such a law takes manpower that especially in this economy, no state can afford. What good is a law if it cannot be enforced?

[Bulldogdad]

I think mandatory sterilization of all cats and dogs running loose and rounded up by animal control is fine by me. I am so sick of frigging peoples cats crapping in my planters and f'n howling and fighting all night. If you cant control your animal then you idiots dont deserve to have one. I have owned dogs all my life and have licensed every single one. In 30 years my dogs have never gotten loose run around pissing and crapping and screwing every thing in sight.

NOW! I read the entire 10 page bill and it allows to much wiggle room to local municipalities to be abusive with penalties and fees. The bill needs some major editing before I would agree with it. All that said, the bill proposes a good idea.

If you dont like my position then get your frigging cats and dogs under control you worthless POS people who cant figure out how to secure their animals.