Pet Sterilization Law

[poohandwendy]

Perhaps this is where the confusion lies.

The law does not say ALL animals:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8377287?source=rss



If the significant majority of PET animals were spayed/neutered it would help to control the pet overpopulation problems.

Amen!

Hell, if HALF of the currently unaltered pet animals were neutered it would make a huge difference.

 

[Jennasis]

I am sorry, but I really do not believe this. If that was the case - why are so many pure bred breeds so ridiculously expensive? I know how much it costs for stud fees, food, vacs etc and they do not add up to the hundreds to thousands of dollars that is being asked per puppy.

Some breeds are expensive because they are rare. But being ridiculously expensive (define that...$200? $500? $1000?) doesn't mean a giant profit is being reeped necessarily.

 

[hiwaygal]

I wonder if they will somehow make veterinarians accountable? If one was to bring an unaltered dog into a vet's office, the office would be required to alter the animal or (unfortunately) euthanize it if the owner won't do it? Though I would imagine that such a scenario might make some pet owners just NO take a sick/injured dog to the vet at all. Just throwing ideas out there...

I'm guessing vets won't be required to take any action except reporting to the City that someone has an unlicensed, unaltered animal.

 

[poohandwendy]

I wonder if they will somehow make veterinarians accountable? If one was to bring an unaltered dog into a vet's office, the office would be required to alter the animal or (unfortunately) euthanize it if the owner won't do it? Though I would imagine that such a scenario might make some pet owners just NO take a sick/injured dog to the vet at all. Just throwing ideas out there...

There could be some scenarios like that.

But, as I mentioned before...the owner who cares enough to make sure a sick animal gets vet care is the animal owner who doesn't allow their animal to go unaltered.

 

[Nana Annie]

Im sorry - but my butt. There is absoultley NO reason to have an un-altered animal, what so ever, at all.

Are you against breed bans?

How about "There is absolutely NO reason to have a Pit Bull, what so ever, at all?

Are you for that too? Because that is the only way to regulate those people who are irresponsible owners of pit bulls.

 

[poohandwendy]

Nana,
Do you have a an idea for the overpopulation problem of millions of mutt dogs and cats?

 

[Jennasis]

I personally feel that only those who are breeding responsibly (for the advancement and betterment of the breed) should have unaltered dogs.

 

[Nana Annie]

I am sorry, but I really do not believe this. If that was the case - why are so many pure bred breeds so ridiculously expensive? I know how much it costs for stud fees, food, vacs etc and they do not add up to the hundreds to thousands of dollars that is being asked per puppy.

Most reputable breeders that I know of don't charge an arm and a leg for their puppies. It is the backyard breeders, the designer breeders and the petshops that only care about profit that are charging the inexhorbitant prices for their puppies.

My last two dogs were both under $500.00 from reputable breeders. Yet you can't find my breed in a petshop or in the paper for under a thousand.

I think you are confusing the for-profit breeders with the good, reputable breeders.

To find a reputable breeder, look up the breed club and call for a list of the breeders that have pledged to follow the code of ethics for that breed.

 

[Nana Annie]

Nana,
Do you have a an idea for the overpopulation problem of millions of mutt dogs and cats?

Absolutely. I am actively involved with rescue for my breed and since it is a popular cross for designer breeders, many other breeds too.

I am well aware of the problems of pet overpopulation.

I just don't think silly laws that won't be enforced are the answer. The regulators can't enforce what they already have. Adding more laws to the books will just make it that much harder to enforce the laws already there that would really help the over population problem.

If you want to help, start screaming at your legislators to throw more money into enforcing the laws we already have. Hire more inspectors. Demand that puppy mills are inspected when they are supposed to. Demand audits of vet records. Demand that they do their job.

That will help more than some lawmakers sitting around making yet another unenforceable law.

 

[CathrynRose]

Are you against breed bans?

How about "There is absolutely NO reason to have a Pit Bull, what so ever, at all?

Are you for that too? Because that is the only way to regulate those people who are irresponsible owners of pit bulls.

This law would include all animals to get altered unless they were a reputable breeder. For what reason would you be against that?

 

[Nana Annie]

I disagree Nana, the lay people are the overpopulation problem not the breeders (good and bad)

There needs to be a law that targets the average pet owner. Yes, there will be those who abuse/disregard it. There are people who don't wear their seat belts. But laws for the average people generally change enough minds to make a difference. Like the seat belt laws.

How many neighbors do you have that are actively breeding one litter after another?

The lay people are not the big problems.

The puppy mills and backyard for-profit breeders (including all the new designer breeders) are the ones that are breeding litter after another, swamping pet shops, craigs list and newspapers with expensive, sick, poorly bred dogs.

There are already laws in place to regulate this.

Tell your legislators to go inspect all those Amish farms which are pumping out puppies as livestock.

Or the USDA licensed high-volume breeders that are the ones filling our shelters. Tell your legislators to hire more USDA inspectors to go actually inspect and shut these places down.

Then you will see a huge dent in the over population.

Forcing more regulations on John and Susie down the street is not going to make any kind of significant dent in the over population of pets.

 

[Hercules10]

If you want to help, start screaming at your legislators to throw more money into enforcing the laws we already have. Hire more inspectors. Demand that puppy mills are inspected when they are supposed to. Demand audits of vet records. Demand that they do their job.

I agree...they could've used the funds to help no to low cost sterilization or stray programs rather then this.

And asking to find a cure for the pet population is like asking for a cure to world hunger. Very complex issue.

 

[poohandwendy]

Absolutely. I am actively involved with rescue for my breed and since it is a popular cross for designer breeders, many other breeds too.

I am well aware of the problems of pet overpopulation.

I just don't think silly laws that won't be enforced are the answer. The regulators can't enforce what they already have. Adding more laws to the books will just make it that much harder to enforce the laws already there that would really help the over population problem.

If you want to help, start screaming at your legislators to throw more money into enforcing the laws we already have. Hire more inspectors. Demand that puppy mills are inspected when they are supposed to. Demand audits of vet records. Demand that they do their job.

That will help more than some lawmakers sitting around making yet another unenforceable law.

I'm trying to figure out how what you said would have changed anything for the cats who showed up at my doorstep. (one heavily pregnant and the other an intact adult male who probably mated with many cats before we found him) None of the above applies to their situation.

There is no breeding law that applies to the mutts. The mutts make up the vast majority of the overpopulation problem.

It seems to me that the city of LA is trying to address the real problem with the non-pedigreed animals. The ones who are in the most danger of being euthanized because of overpopulation due to unaltered animals.

 

[poohandwendy]

How many neighbors do you have that are actively breeding one litter after another?

The lay people are not the big problems.

The puppy mills and backyard for-profit breeders (including all the new designer breeders) are the ones that are breeding litter after another, swamping pet shops, craigs list and newspapers with expensive, sick, poorly bred dogs.

There are already laws in place to regulate this.

Tell your legislators to go inspect all those Amish farms which are pumping out puppies as livestock.

Or the USDA licensed high-volume breeders that are the ones filling our shelters. Tell your legislators to hire more USDA inspectors to go actually inspect and shut these places down.

Then you will see a huge dent in the over population.

Forcing more regulations on John and Susie down the street is not going to make any kind of significant dent in the over population of pets.

I'll have to agree to disagree. I have no problem with the idea of reinforcing the laws, but I think we need to also have laws for the average person who is allowing their pets to run free, unaltered.

Btw, I know of plenty of people who allow their cats to breed and breed and breed. They aren't breeders, they just don't see any need to alter their pets.

They just call them 'barn cats' as if they are upholding a breed standard.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

How many neighbors do you have that are actively breeding one litter after another?

The lay people are not the big problems.

The puppy mills and backyard for-profit breeders (including all the new designer breeders) are the ones that are breeding litter after another, swamping pet shops, craigs list and newspapers with expensive, sick, poorly bred dogs.

There are already laws in place to regulate this.

Tell your legislators to go inspect all those Amish farms which are pumping out puppies as livestock.

Or the USDA licensed high-volume breeders that are the ones filling our shelters. Tell your legislators to hire more USDA inspectors to go actually inspect and shut these places down.

Then you will see a huge dent in the over population.

Forcing more regulations on John and Susie down the street is not going to make any kind of significant dent in the over population of pets.

Sorry, you're completely mistaken. The vast majority of pets in shelters and the pound are mutts or mixes of some kind, not purebreds or "designer dogs." Sure, some of those end up in the pound too, but the VAST majority of unwanted pets (cats and dogs both) are the result of irresponsible owners who don't get their pets spayed.

 

[Nana Annie]

This law would include all animals to get altered unless they were a reputable breeder. For what reason would you be against that?

Because it won't work. Just like breed specific banning has been shown to not work.

 

[poohandwendy]

The lay people are not the big problems.

Just had to add a comment to this. I don't know about the dog population issues, except that I rarely see purebred dogs at the shelter. But I sure know enough about the cats.

The main reason for cat overpopulation is feral, unaltered cats. They didn't become feral because of designer or purebred breeders. Or even because of any breeder of any kind. They became feral because somewhere along the line, in the not-so-distant past, a pet owner allowed their unaltered animal to run free and start a feral cat population.

 

[Nana Annie]

Sorry, you're completely mistaken. The vast majority of pets in shelters and the pound are mutts or mixes of some kind, not purebreds or "designer dogs." Sure, some of those end up in the pound too, but the VAST majority of unwanted pets (cats and dogs both) are the result of irresponsible owners who don't get their pets spayed.

And where do you think the parents of those mixed breeds came from? The HUGE influx of dogs into our society by the puppy mills.

Also, if you curb the huge influx of dogs from puppymills, there would be many more homes for the mixed breeds in the shelters.

As the pp said before, use the money spent on frivilous legislation to do some real work. Offer low cost spay and neuter clinics to more people. Right now, many low cost spay/neuter will only do rescue dogs for the discounted price. To stay in business, they charge market rates for any other type of pet. What about that person that fell in love with that cocker in the pet shop. Their only option is a market price spay/neuter. That $350.00 spay might not look so attractive now. And now Daisy breeds with Sunny and you have the mixed breed puppies in the shelter.

Use the money to educate.

Use the money to hire more inspectors to do their jobs.

Anything but make more laws to stretch the inspectors even thinner.

 

[poohandwendy]

Also, if you curb the huge influx of dogs from puppymills, there would be many more homes for the mixed breeds in the shelters.

And who here is against doing that?

What is the problem with also requiring people to alter their dogs and cats again? Can someone remind me why that is a bad idea?

Oh yeah...because some people won't? Huh?

No different than seat belt laws. Used to be that no one had to wear one and most people just didn't. Became the law and the educational campaign of why it was so important started. Eventually, it just became commonplace for most. No more inspectors needed at all.

 

[Nana Annie]

Just had to add a comment to this. I don't know about the dog population issues, except that I rarely see purebred dogs at the shelter. But I sure know enough about the cats.

The main reason for cat overpopulation is feral, unaltered cats. They didn't become feral because of designer or purebred breeders. Or even because of any breeder of any kind. They became feral because somewhere along the line, in the not-so-distant past, a pet owner allowed their unaltered animal to run free and start a feral cat population.

Cats and dogs are slightly different. There usually aren't leash laws for cats. And if there are, they are mostly scoffed at by enforment officials. It is common place for people to allow their cats to wander, while it is not as common to allow dogs to wander. Yes, irresponsible owners do allow dogs to wander, but even responsible cat owners think nothing of opening the screen door and letting their cat out.

So, wandering, unaltered cats are far more common than dogs.

As for the purebred pets in the shelters, that is because most breeds have very active rescue programs.

I can very much assure you that the rescue organizations are also overwhelmed by purebred animals. The mixed breeds in the shelters are only a portion of the unwanted animals.