Pet Sterilization Becomes Law in LA

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[font=Verdana,Sans-serif]Pet Sterilization Becomes Law in LA[/font]
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Feb 26, 8:02 PM (ET)
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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday signed one of the nation's toughest laws on pet sterilization, requiring most dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered by the time they are 4 months old.
The ordinance is aimed at reducing and eventually eliminating the thousands of euthanizations conducted in Los Angeles' animal shelters every year.
"We will, sooner rather than later, become a no-kill city and this is the greatest step in that direction," Councilman Tony Cardenas said as he held a kitten at a City Hall news conference.
Councilman Richard Alarcon, who like Cardenas is a co-author of the bill, brought his two pet Chihuahuas to the event to be neutered in a van operated by the city.
The ordinance does exempt some animals, including those that have competed in shows or sporting competitions, guide dogs, animals used by police agencies and those belonging to professional breeders.
The average pet owner, however, must have their dog or cat spayed or neutered by the time it reaches 4 months of age (as late as 6 months with a letter from a veterinarian). People with older unneutered pets and newcomers to the city with animals also have to obey the law.
First-time offenders will receive information on subsidized sterilization services and be given an additional 60 days. If they still fail to comply they could be fined $100 and ordered to serve eight hours of community service. A subsequent offense could result in a $500 fine or 40 hours of community service.
The ordinance brings the nation's second-largest city into line with about a dozen of its neighbors that have similar laws.
Many states require animals adopted from shelters to be sterilized, and New York City requires the same for animals bought from pet shops, but restrictions such as those in Southern California are rare. A 2006 Rhode Island law requires most cats to be sterilized.
A measure similar to Los Angeles' passed the California Assembly last year but did not gain state Senate support.
Los Angeles animal shelters took in 50,000 cats and dogs last year and euthanized approximately 15,000 at a cost of $2 million, according to city officials.
Bob Barker, the retired game-show host who famously ended every "Price is Right" show with a call for sterilizing pets, pushed for the law's adoption and was among those at Tuesday's news conference.
"The next time that you hear me say, 'Help control the pet population, have your pet spayed or neutered,' I can add, 'It's the law in Los Angeles,'" a jubilant Barker said.
 
Thank you RO news wire "crew" for all the articles you post.

I'm thinking of all the rabbits that get dumped after Easter (or because they're old, not wanted, etc., etc.) and then proliferate in suburbs, parks... The post a few months back about needing to control the abandoned numbers in BC/Canada area?
** Add other communities as well. **

Muskego, WI, park ... domestics being seen by towns folk.
My friend in NY who'd see at least a dozen domestic rabbits in the park where she jogged... and then the hawk who was feasting on a domestic in the road.

! Go Bob Barker is right !




 
I now see an abundunce of cats and dogs dropped off at shelters simply because the owners cannot afford a speuter at this time.
 
I posted a while ago that they passed this law in AZ, too. I think they passed it, anyway.

We have FREE spays and neuters here for all bully-type breeds and bully-type mixes....since bully breeds here are popular here among those "tough guys" in the Phoenix area :rollseyes.
 
While I agree with the main premise behind this law, it has many flaws. Like was pointed out by okiron, there are many people out there right now that take care of their pets but simply could not afford the high cost of speuters. Without anything written in the law to help these people out, it has the potential of creating a flood of surrenders that the shelters may not be able to handle. I worry that many of these pets were really loved family members and what chance will they have in overcrowded shelters? Beyond that, a major source of the problem, BYB's don't follow the laws now, what is going to make them follow this one? Another big issue with this law that many people probably won't even realize is that to my knowledge, it makes no exemption for large breed dogs that really should not be fixed before or even as early as four months old. These dogs are the exception (mastiffs, danes, and greyhounds I believe) to the rule, I know it is perfectly fine to fix most breeds before this age. I guess people may be able to get around that with a vet's note but I am not sure.


 

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