The state that is home to the American Kennel Club’s second largest dog show is looking at some pretty strict legislation to help curb pet overpopulation. California’s Assemblyman Lloyd Levine is sponsoring a bill that would require pet owners to sterilize their dogs and cats by the time the pet is four months old or face a hefty fine.
The bill squeaked by in the Assembly, passing by a single vote. If passed by the California State Senate, the bill would be the nation’s biggest and baddest pet sterilization law. The goal is to reduce the number of dogs and cats from California shelters that are euthanized each year — an estimated five hundred thousand animals.
The pros:
- Such strict measures would cut down on the number of animals ending up in shelters — if puppies and kittens aren’t born, they can’t become homeless.
- The price of the potential fine ($500) would help encourage people to spay and neuter their pets.
- Licensed breeders would be exempt from the sterilization.
- Spaying and neutering has other health benefits for pets, like reduced risk of running away and eliminating risk of some cancers.
The cons:
- The bill does not spell out which dog and cat breeds would be covered, and some breeders fear being excluded from the exemption.
- The bill does not set a fee for the breeding license — individual counties and cities can set widely varying prices.
- Backyard breeders and puppy mills would have the same opportunity to obtain a license as a legitimate breeder.
- It may become very costly for city and county government to enforce the sterilization law.
- The breeding licenses will increase costs and red tape for legitimate breeders.
Animal loving celebrities like Pamela Anderson and Price is Right host Bob Barker are in favor of the strict bill. The American Kennel Club and breeders around the country are not. The AKC is threatening to take the Eukanuba National Championship out of Long Beach, California — last year’s show brought 28,000 spectators and more than twenty million dollars into the local economy.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has not taken a position on the sterilization bill, and will not say whether or not his two dogs are neutered.