This chit is really getting frustrating, The City Council's mind was already made up.
http://www.dpca.org/Legisltv/documents/FailureOfMSN.pdfFAILURE OF MANDATORY SPAY/NEUTER AND BREEDER LICENSING LAWS
Mandatory spay/neuter (MSN) laws are promoted by groups who claim it will end
euthanasia of animals. These groups claim that breeders and pet shops are to blame
for animal abandonment. These groups promote the animal rights agenda. As the end
goal of animal rights is to abolish breeding of companion animals, they need to draw a
straight line between breeding and euthanasia, whether or not the logic used to make a
case is flawed or the information presented is inaccurate.
Summary Points:
•There is no national “overpopulation crisis” of animals. Nationally numbers of
animals euthanized at shelters is at an all time low. Some areas are forced to import
animals to fill their shelters even though some states and localities have a surplus.
•Areas which have passed this type of legislation have failed to see success in
lessening animal abandonment
•Costs for animal control have greatly increased in areas that pass this type of
legislation
•MSN and breeder licensing punishes responsible pet owners and breeders while
ignoring irresponsible animal owners
•MSN and breeder licensing are tactics of the animal rights movement to end
breeding of animals and pet ownership
•MSN and breeder licensing negatively impacts feral or stray cat caretakers
•MSN will have little or no impact on claims of public health and safety problems
caused by unwanted animals which can be better dealt with by enforcing existing
laws
•MSN punishes low income families who can’t afford spay/neuter to begin with. This
is a reason why low cost spay/neuter programs are much more effective.
•Breeding restriction legislation is an inefficient use of government resources
•MSN and breeder licensing fail to address the problem of pet retention. It is
undisputable that the number one reason for owner surrender is related to pet
behavior or health problems, or the owner’s lack of time or ability to care for the pet.
•The emphasis must be placed on pet retention if animal control and shelter intake is
to be lowered. Those pets relinquished had an owner who chose not to keep them.
EXAMPLES OF FAILED LEGISLATION
San Mateo County, CA ordinance passed in 1991.
• The ordinance requires spay/neuter of all dogs and cats in the unincorporated parts of
the county unless the owner obtains an unaltered license or breeder’s permit. Chap.
8.02.090, Sec. 3332.4 (a) If an unaltered animal breeds accidentally, the owner must
obtain a breeder’s permit. The license fee for unaltered animals is nearly twice that of
spay/neutered cats and dogs. Any owner redeeming impounded unaltered animals must
pay an additional fee. This fee is refunded if the animal is spayed or neutered within 30
days. Any unaltered animal impounded twice or more within a 3-year period will be
altered at the guardian’s expense prior to redemption. Chap. 8.02, Sec. 3330.8
Penalties for violation include fines of up to $100 on the first offense, $200 on the
second offense, and $500 for each additional violation of the same ordinance within one
year.
• After the effective date of the ordinance, dog deaths in the areas governed by the
ordinance, increased 126% and cats 86% while licenses declined by 35%. For the
county as a whole dog deaths decreased 5% and cats 16% in 1993; in 1994 dog deaths
declined 12% and cats 17%. From 1991-1994 there were no cat breeder permits and 50
permits for dog breeders, eight of which were renewals. In addition, licenses dropped
dramatically. For 1998-99, the number dropped to 36,023, a dramatic decline from the
48,000-51,000 range of the previous two decades.
Los Angeles (city), California ordinance passed in 2000.
• requires the spay/neuter of all dogs and cats unless the owner has obtained a $100.
annual unaltered animal or breeder’s permit. Sec. 53.15.2 For any dogs that breed, the
owner must obtain a $100 annual breeder’s permit for each animal which allows 1 litter.
A second litter during the annual permit period may be permissible “to protect the
health of the animal[,] avert a substantial economic loss to the permittee” or "if the first
litter was euthanized". A breeder must register all dogs bred for sale and disclose their
name and permit number in any ad and on any sale documents. The city also tracks the
identity of subsequent owners of the animals sold by breeders. There is a $91.50
license fee for unaltered dogs and a $6.50 charge for animals that have been
spayed/neutered. Sec. 53.15.3 Violators are subject to fines of up to $500.00.
• Since the passage of this 2000 “spay or pay” Los Angeles ordinance, there has been a
decline in dog licensing compliance. The animal control budget after passage of the law
rose 269%., from $6.7 million to $18 million. The city hired additional animal control
officers and bought new trucks and equipment just to enforce the new law.
Montgomery County, MD the mandatory spay/neuter law was repealed.
• When the law was enacted, it was estimated that 550 breeding permits would be
issued per year. In reality only an average of 30 permits were issued per year. There
was an estimated 50% decline in licensing compliance.
• Although the euthanasia rate declined 21.5% after the ordinance was passed, it had
declined 34% prior to enactment of the law. The Office of Legislative Oversight
recommended in its 1997 report that the county eliminate the new breeder permit
system and return to their former license fee structure. Under the current ordinance,
Montgomery County requires a 3 year $75 license for unaltered animals and an annual
$25 license for those that have been spayed/neutered; there are discounts for low
income applicants for the license for a spayed neutered animal. Secs. 05.00.01.01,
05.401.01.02
Fort Worth, TX ended its manadatory spay/neuter program.
• licensing compliance fell off after passage of the ordinance. As a result there was a
reduction in rabies vaccinations which lead to an increase in rabies in the city.
Camden County, NJ ordinance passed in 1996 • mandatory spay/neuter ordinance
required a $500 permit fee to possess an intact dog or cat. In 2000 it was changed to
$10, because of there were so few requests for it. But then again in 2001 the permit fee
was again raised to $100, its current rate. As for the euthanasia rates since the effective
date of the ordinance, the PAWS NJ website comments,
“An analysis of these statistics shows the Humane Society of Southern NJ which
operates the Camden County Animal Shelter, to be consistently one of the leading, if
not the leading killers of animals in the state of New Jersey.” The report covers 1998-
2001, well after the effective date of the mandatory spay neuter ordinance. The site’s
report on the top 50 New Jersey animal shelters reveals some in Camden County have
significantly lower euthanasia rates than others in the state, but at least 2 had the
highest kill rates in New Jersey.
King County, Washington ordinance passed in 1992
• requires all dogs and cats over 6 months old to be spayed/neutered unless the
guardian buys an unaltered license for $60, $40 more than for an altered pet. Chap IV,
Secs. 11.04.035, 11.04.210, 11.04.400. The ordinance provides for a breeder
certification program. Sec. 11.04.570 It is illegal to advertise to King County residents
the availability of any unaltered dog or cat without the animal’s license number;
breeders, however, may advertise litters for sale. Chap. IV, Sec. 11.04.510. It is
also illegal to sell or give away an unaltered animal in a public place or as a raffle or
other prize. Sec. 11.04.235 Anyone selling or giving away an unaltered dog or cat must
notify animal control in writing with the new owner's name, address, and telephone
number. Sec. 11.04.570 There is also a provision for door to door canvassing to ensure
compliance. Sec. 11.04.580
• License compliance has appeared to decrease since passage of the ordinance.
Animal control expenses have increased 56.8% and revenues only 43.2%. In 1990 the
total cost of animal control was $1,662,776; in 1997, it was $3,087,350. Euthanasia
rates actually fell at a slower rate after passage of the ordinance. In the years prior to
enactment of the law, euthanasia rates were plummeting in King County. The data
shows that the one real success as a result of the ordinance was the increase
in adoptions.
Aurora, CO
• requires breeder permits as part of its mandatory spay/neuter ordinance, licensing
compliance has dropped dramatically. Secs. 14-42; 14-71(b), 14-101(a)(1). Pinellas
County Florida has required breeder licensing since 1992. Sec. 14-29.
• Since then the animal control budget has increased 75% with revenue increasing only
13%. There have also been increases in shelter intake and euthanasia rates since the
law took effect.
Santa Cruz, CA
• claims that a law to force the sterilization of dogs and cats in California "will save
millions of taxpayer dollars" are being discounted after government documents show
that animal control expenses have nearly doubled in the county that serves as the
model for the proposed statewide measure. In arguably the most contentious bill before
the California Legislature this year, AB 1634 by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine (D-Van
Nuys) will require nearly all pet owners to spay or neuter their animals or face a $500
fine. Claiming taxpayer savings as the basis for the bill, proponents point to a 1995
mandatory spay/neuter law in Santa Cruz County that serves as the blueprint for AB
1634. But records obtained by PetPAC from the California State Controller's Office paint
a very different picture: Animal control expenses in Santa Cruz County have
skyrocketed since the law took effect, from $635,296 in 1995 to more than $1.1 million
in 2005 - an increase of 93%.
Athens, AL
• in Dec 2007 the Athens City Council voted to repeal the section of the animal control
law that required pets to be registered. Differential licensing had been added to the
ordinance back in 1986. City officials said the registration was costing the city far more
money to enforce than it was bringing in. Out of the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 dogs in
the city only 1,500 were registered.
