California Assembly Passes AB1634, the Spay-Neuter Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 6, 2007

ASSEMBLY PASSES CALIFORNIA HEALTHY PETS ACT Universal spaying and neutering of dogs and cats will save taxpayers millions

In a victory for California taxpayers and animal advocates, the California State Assembly today passed the California Healthy Pets Act (AB 1634). This bill, authored by Assemblymember Lloyd Levine (D – Van Nuys) would help keep pets healthy, make communities safer, and save taxpayers millions by requiring most pets to be spayed or neutered.

Every year, more than 800,000 pets are abandoned in California. California taxpayers spend $250 million to house these abandoned cats and dogs in shelters and then euthanize the majority of them.

“Today is a great day for California’s taxpayers and animal lovers. The California Healthy Pets Act will save millions of dollars that are currently being used to shelter and euthanize unwanted animals. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to pass this common sense solution to the growing challenge of pet overpopulation in our state,” said Assemblymember Levine. Sponsors of the California Healthy Pets Act include the California Veterinary Medical Association, California Animal Control Directors Association, and the State Humane Association of California, which represents local SPCAs and Humane Societies across the state. The bill is also supported by law enforcement agencies, elected officials, and hundreds of animal organizations from across the state.

“This is a monumental victory for anyone who cares about animals and every taxpayer in the state. The California Healthy Pets Act is the best, most humane option of reducing the growing number of unwanted animals. Status quo is not acceptable – we’ll never be able to keep up by just hoping that people do the right thing,” said Judie Mancuso, Campaign Director for the California Healthy Pets Coalition.

The California Healthy Pets Act would enact a universal spay/neuter law for California. More than 20 common sense exemptions are provided in the bill, including for show and sporting dogs, law enforcement dogs, dogs used in search and rescue, pets that are too old or in poor health, and guide, service and signal animals.

The bill is largely modeled on a successful universal spay and neuter ordinance that the County of Santa Cruz implemented in 1995. By 2005, although the county’s human population had grown by 15 percent, its shelter’s intake numbers had plummeted by more than half. This success has inspired other jurisdictions, including the City of Sacramento and City of San Bernardino, to adopt similar measures.

Dog or cat owners found to be in violation of AB 1634 would be cited, but would not pay a fine if they had their animals spayed or neutered. All funds from permits will be used to fund the administration, enforcement and outreach efforts of the program as well as free or low-cost spay and neuter efforts. For more information, please visit www.cahealthypets.com.

TWO PAWS UP FOR THE NEW LAW.


MIKE


http://WWW.MIKETHECAT.COM

It would make it illegal to breed mutts. That's outrageous. Mutts are the best dogs.

" California Healthy Pets Act"
Assures unintended consequences:
Elimination of
California 's Healthy pets!

For Immediate Release: June 4, 2007
For more information contact: Patti Strand, NAIA National Director
naia [at] naiaonline.org http://www.naiaonline.org 503-761-8962

SACRAMENTO , CA -- The anti-pet movement has found a sponsor in the California legislature for a bill that strips pet owners of their traditional rights and, in the process, sharply reduces both the quantity and quality of purpose-bred dogs and cats -- including those bred for assistance to the disabled, and for search & rescue operations.

AB 1634 is backed by the extremist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and sponsored by Assembly Member Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys). If it passes, most California pet owners will have to sterilize their pets.

"This bill comes with a noble-sounding name but AB 1634, the so-called California Healthy Pets Act, will not improve the health of California pets," says Patti Strand, National Director of the National Animal Interests Alliance, one of the nation's most respected animal welfare groups.

The bill is fraught with unintended consequences. Among them: a predictable flood of unregulated -- and typically unhealthy -- dogs from Mexico, already the proven source of up to 10,000 illegal dogs sent to California each year according to US Customs and Border Protection: "In a global marketplace," according to Strand , "over-regulating the AKC and CFA hobby breeders who are the best source of healthy, well-socialized, home-raised puppies and kittens, creates a vacuum, effectively ‘outsourcing' pet production to other countries that don't come close to reaching US standards of animal health, care or quality." The increasing demand for puppies has also led to the importation of strays rescued from foreign countries that are being marketed through non-profit organizations like The Animal Place and Compassion Without Borders . This influx harms California consumers and poses a significant public health threat.

Despite the claims of the bill's supporters, many respected California veterinarians oppose AB 1634, including one the state's most distinguished vets. Dr. John Hamil is past president of the California Veterinary Medical Association, founder of the California Council of Companion Animal Advocates that sponsored biannual Pet Overpopulation Symposia (now the Animal Care Conference), member of the American Veterinary Medical Association's Animal Welfare Committee and the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy and author of the CVMA and AVMA positions on early spay/neuter.

Dr. Hamil, a leader in spay/neuter programs, terms AB 1634 "divisive legislation [that] will not help and may aggravate the situation." Noting that young puppies and kittens are not biologically mature enough for spaying and neutering in many cases, Dr. Hamil states: "It is inappropriate to mandate a controversial and possibly life-threatening surgical procedure."

Also strongly opposed to AB 1634 is Sharon Vanderlip, DVM, former shelter animal veterinary clinician and surgeon, a longtime advocate of voluntary spaying and neutering. "This bill is not a ‘healthy' pet act," said Dr. Vanderlip. "It will not help animals or improve their health. It will not reduce the shelter animal population. It will not reduce the number of animal euthanasias. To the contrary, the number of animals in shelters and the number of euthanasias will increase as people who cannot afford to alter their pets, or pay fines associated with non-compliance, will abandon their animals, relinquish them to shelters, or have them euthanized. This has already happened in municipalities that attempted similar legislation."

Christian Osmond, DVM, board-certified veterinary surgeon, opposes the bill on similar grounds. Dr. Osmond says he cannot reconcile his professional oath to "above all else…do no harm" with programs that place political agendas above sound veterinary practice, a priority that could put pets at risk.

Canine Companions for Independence , an organization supporting assistance dogs for the disabled, opposes AB 1634 because even with exemptions for today's carefully supervised dogs, the bill's long-term effects would greatly reduce genetic diversity and threaten the existence of their breeding program.

Law enforcement groups -- representing tens of thousands of uniformed officers -- oppose AB 1634 because it will drastically reduce the future supply of dogs suitable for apprehending criminal suspects and performing vital Homeland Security tasks. The U.S. Congress has recognized the critical need to breed more dogs for Homeland Security work with pending legislation HR 659. AB 1634 would send this important bipartisan effort into a tailspin.

"AB 1634 would shrink the pool of dogs that are suitable for search and rescue, undermining our ability to do this life-saving work," says Laura Sanborn, California K9 search and rescue volunteer.

The Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America supports spay and neuter programs and in fact requires compliance for all MBDCA registered dogs. But president Cindy Leung said that AB 1634 will not solve the problem it claims to address. Instead, she said, the bill "punishes organizations, animal shelters, businesses and responsible breeders that have been among the few sources of education in regard to responsible pet ownership and breeding. Over 87% of animals relinquished to shelters are there due to behavioral problems; if California truly wants to solve the pet overpopulation problem it should promote training and behavior education rather than mandatory spay and neuter."

Animal shelter statistics demonstrate that pet owners are well on their way to solving the pet population problems of yesterday. Today, California 's largest animal problem is feral cats (cats without owners); but AB 1634 establishes no programs for these cats. Worse yet, it imposes penalties on cat breeders who breed and place their kittens with care.

NAIA director Strand notes that AB 1634's chief advocates claim they have "no relationship to animal extremists." However, PETA operatives play key roles in Social Compassion, a sister group to the bill's public supporter, CA Healthy Pets Coalition.

"Beyond AB 1634 itself, the issue at stake is responsible political process," NAIA's Strand concludes. "Will the California Assembly rely on the expertise of the state's animal professionals – including leading veterinarians, experts in law enforcement and service dog breeding programs, dedicated breed enthusiasts, animal welfare groups, the leading organizations for cats and dogs like Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) and the American Kennel Club ( AKC ), county Boards of Supervisors, and other respected individuals and organizations – or will they listen to groups that oppose all pets, healthy or not?"

"The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding."
-- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

(Sacramento) – The State Assembly has approved the California Healthy Pets Act by Assemblymember Lloyd Levine. Assemblymember Levine says Assembly Bill 1634, which is modeled after a 12-year-old ordinance in Santa Cruz, is needed because state and local governments spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year caring for, euthanizing and disposing of more than half a million dogs and cats each year. AB 1634 requires all cats and dogs to be spayed or neutered, with specified exceptions, and establishes civil penalties for non-compliance. The exceptions include police dogs, guide dogs, signal dogs, service dogs and various other working canines. AB 1634 also prohibits after April 1, 2008, any person from owning or possessing a cat or dog over the age of 4 months that has not been spayed or neutered, unless that person possesses an intact permit, and specifies the conditions for getting such a permit and noncompliance penalties. Assemblymember Levine says he will continue to work with other lawmakers who have proposed amendments to his measure. The measured moved to the Senate on a 41 to 38 vote.

Here's a more expansive look at the reasons AB 1634 is needed:

Each year, almost one million unwanted and abandoned cats and dogs are born in the state of California. Left unspayed and un-neutered, these animals propagate far beyond the capacity of local shelters, animal rescue groups and the community to accommodate them. Shelters are often forced to euthanize young and healthy animals to make room for more; puppies and kittens are euthanized at the highest rate, twice as many cats than dogs. The financial costs to taxpayers, and the emotional toll suffered by shelter employees and the communities who take care of these animals are extremely high. Local governments spend more than $250 million each year to intake, care for, and ultimately kill over half of California’s unwanted animals.

Legislation requiring spaying and neutering of cats and dogs is a reasonable, proven-effective and necessary means to greatly reduce the number of unwanted animals and the practice of euthanizing healthy adoptable animals in the state of California. For example, in 1995 the County of Santa Cruz implemented a mandatory spay and neuter ordinance in effort to reduce the high number of animals its shelters took in each year. By 2005, Santa Cruz County’s intake number had plummeted by 64%, from 14,000 to 5,000 animals, the majority of which were already spayed or neutered. The County realized significant improvements after only two years and its overall reduction is particularly notable since the County experienced a 15% human population growth during the same time period.

It is medically proven that cats and dogs which are spayed or neutered live longer and healthier lives. Early spaying and neutering is recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association and advocated as “easier” to perform and “younger animals recover faster and with less pain.” Spaying and neutering also protects and improves the health and safety of California’s animals by reducing or eliminating a wide variety of health problems that are difficult and expensive to treat. The many health benefits include preventing unwanted pregnancies and devastating genetic conditions; reducing injury and death associated with aggressive behavior and the desire to stray; eliminating the risk and occurrence of cancer, tumors, cysts, hernias, infections and the development of other life-threatening diseases.

Spaying and neutering also results in significant public health and safety benefits, particularly: in the reduction of dangers caused by roaming stray animals, the transmission of rabies and other communicable animal diseases and the occurrences of dog bites. It is well documented that unaltered dogs are three-times more likely to attack humans and other animals. California suffers the nation’s highest occurrences of dog bites, animal attacks and attack-related fatalities in the nation and children are the most common victims.

Reducing the number births of unwanted animals in the state of California will necessarily reduce the state’s costs associated with caring for and euthanizing those same animals. According to the Animal Population Control Study Commission every dollar spent on spay and neuter surgeries saves taxpayers $18.72 in future animal control costs over a ten-year period. These savings can instead be directed toward efforts that promote greater operational efficiency in California’s shelters and better enable shelters to fulfill their mission - adoption, reunification and saving animals’ lives.

The California Healthy Pets Act will save millions of taxpayer dollars, reduce the forced euthanasia of adoptable animals, help our pets stay healthy, and safeguard our communities. It’s enactment will establish California as a national leader in the humane animal welfare and the no-kill movement.

Pet Extinction Act? Get real.


Santa Cruz has had a similar law for years and there is no pet shortage. There are still mutts in Santa Cruz, too. And if it makes you feel any better, they still euthanize animals, since having unwanted animals around seems to please you.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/06/09/18426466.php

The poster child for proponents of AB 1634, Santa Cruz County's spay/neuter ordinance, has been sold using bogus data. The shelter data that proponents of AB 1634 have been claiming doesn't remotely match what Santa Cruz County has officially reported to the California Department of Health Services, Veterinary Public Health Section... as required by state law.
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/Big%20Lie%20Graphs2.pdf

LET’S BE SENSIBLE,

For over a century, (circa: September 17, 1884) the American Kennel Club has been recognized as the foremost authority on the care and well being of dogs in the United States. If one chooses to reject the opinion and credulity of honorable and widely trusted institutions, others are left with a difficult task of pondering exactly what standards that person employs, if any, to discern the actual truth. When I compare the gleaming achievements and sterling reputation of The American Kennel Club to that of the radical organization known as “PETA”, it seems clear that the animal extremist group, put in kind terms, pales in comparison.

This bill, as it is written, is not what it is advertised to be. It will work against all who are trying desperately to responsibly manage dog ownership. I submit the following press release to you. Please consider this important message for the sake of defenseless animals that can not speak for themselves.

Steve Carey


AKC Delegate Body Passes Resolution Opposing CA AB 1634
PR NEWSWIRE

NEW YORK, June 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A resolution proposed by the American Kennel Club(R) Board of Directors opposing California Assembly Bill 1634 was unanimously adopted by the AKC(R) Delegate Body at its quarterly meeting, held Monday, June 11, 2007, in Las Vegas. The bill would require all dogs and cats over the age of four months to be spayed or neutered unless the owners qualify for and obtain an intact animal permit. The AKC Delegates, who represent 599 member clubs out of the nearly 5,000 AKC affiliated clubs nationwide (more than 460 of them in California), issued the following resolution on Monday in response to proposed Assembly Bill 1634:

"Be it resolved that the Delegates of the American Kennel Club declare that the enactment of AB1634 in the State of California would 1) be detrimental to the sport of purebred dogs; 2) fail to achieve the humane results it purports to espouse; and 3) cost the State of California and its communities tens of millions of dollars in lost revenues.

"Be it further resolved that the Delegates of the American Kennel Club urge the Governor, the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California to defeat AB1634."

"This resolution represents our steadfast opposition to this bill and any others which unfairly target the responsible breeders that make up our constituency," said AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung. "We are deeply concerned about the problems irresponsible dog owners, irresponsible breeding, and inadequate animal control can cause a community; however, mandatory spaying and neutering has proven to be an ineffective solution because it fails to address the heart of the issue; irresponsible ownership. The AKC and its clubs support non-discriminatory, fair, effective and enforceable legislation that addresses the pertinent animal issues in the community. "

The American Kennel Club, founded in 1884, is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its nearly 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well- being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 20,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earth dog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Companion Animal Recovery and the AKC Museum of the Dog.

For more information, visit:

http://www.akc.org

AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc.

CONTACT: Daisy Okas of American Kennel Club, 1-212-696-8343

SOURCE American Kennel Club

Ok so say this bill passes the senate. Who's going to pay for the extra animal control officers to inforce it? Oh yea the taxpayers. And then what will they think of next telling us how many kids we can have and making couples stop having children. This is ridculous, all it's going to do is raise the cost of purebreed dogs and make lawbreakers out of uaslly lawabiding citizens. It's not going to stop puppy mills or backyard breeders and it is not going to stop people from dumping their unwanted pets. It's a bill from a man who has to much time on his hands and wants us to forget about the really important issuse like over crowding in the Emergencgy rooms and our schools, and teachers who can't teach classes cause more than half the kids don't speack or understand English. Lets deal with those issues ones that matter.

who you gonna trust?

those that profit from exploiting animals for show based in 19th century good-breed thinking or those who deal with the hundreds of thousands of animals put down in California every year in the 21st century?



Here's a list of who supports AB1634:


Supporters

The California Healthy Pets Act was developed by a diverse coalition of veterinarians, animal control officers, government officials, and animal advocates.

An overview of supporting groups and individuals is listed below, and logos for some of these groups are shown to the left. Supporters are being added daily, with the full list of organizations and individuals available to Legislators on request. For more information about the current supporter's list or to add your name / organization please contact us.

Sponsors

* California Animal Control Directors Association
* California Veterinary Medical Association
* City of Los Angeles
* Social Compassion in Legislation
* State Humane Association of California

Elected Officials

* Over 25 Mayors and Councilmembers from across the state

Law Enforcement

* Over 20 Police Departments and Sherrifs from across the state

City and County Agencies

* A long list of Animal Control and Animal Services agencies from across California, with new agencies added almost daily

Humane Societies and SPCA's

* 40+ Humane Societies and SPCA's including virtually every major group in the state

Veterinarians & Veterinary Hospitals

* The California Veterinary Medical Association and a myriad of individual veterinarians and vet clinics

National Animal Welfare Organizations

* Virtually all the major animal welfare organizations involved in California, including:

- American Humane Association
- Animal Legal Defense Fund
- Animal Protection Institute
- Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights
- Doris Day Animal League
- Humane Society of the United States
- In Defense of Animals
- International Fund for Animal Welfare
- ast Chance for Animals
- National Cat Protection
- United Animal Nations

CA State Rescue Organizations

* Over 220 California based animals rescue organizations including virutally every major rescue group.
The logos to the left represent only a fraction of the participating groups.

Individuals & Other Organizations

* Over 40 "Celebrity" endorsements
* Over 100 other organizations across California
* Over 10,000 individual Californians have written their Legislators so far, a volume of support described as "unprecedented" by lawmakers.

I notice the long list you have posted does not include California voters. Why not subject this poorly crafted bill to a vote of California citizens? I think you might find less support than you think. I am amazed that you find it within yourself to criticize the American Kennel Club, a NON-PROFIT organization. They are a group that has always represented healthy proliferation and the well being of dogs. You choose to take shots at pure bred dog breeders also. Most breeders require that companion dogs from their litters be neutered. They very carefully plan their breeding animals. Their is an equally long list of veterinarians, police organizations, rescue groups, and working dog owners that oppose this bill. They do not oppose neutering for animals not ear marked for breeding, they simply oppose this bill which has been said by many to be "ill-conceived". When posting numbers you intentionally deceive. "Dogs" turn into "animals" in order to make the numbers larger. Neutering pure bred dogs will do nothing to stop unwanted cats. Blatant propaganda; shame on you for the numerous deceptions.

This is another radical crazy bill (AB1634), these bills always seem to crop up only in California. Bills like this is the reason why California is such a mess of a state. It's one thing writing a bill like this, but to have it actually pass, is the California legislature at their worse again. There are so many reason not to pass this bill. I hope the senate will get off their high horses, put their thinking caps on, and listen to the authority in the field of dogs, the American Kennel Club!!!! The ACK opposes this bill for so many reasons. If this bill passes there will be a lot of people moving out of California, because this is the last straw for some people.

This bill is a disaster waiting to happen. Another move by the animal rights extremists to take away our rights to own animal completely. This bill would punish the responsible breeders who work hard for the WELFARE of dogs and cats. Those responsible breeders are NOT the ones putting animals in shelters. This bill would cause many more problems including be virtually unenforceable, and actually adding more animals to the shelters. This bill punishes the wrong poeple and is a direct violation of civil rights.

Wow, such confusion and misunderstood motives, not to mention self-interests about a simple process to abate unwanted homeless Dogs & Cats. There are few salient points that must be considered; First, adopt a comprehensive program; Second, make all Dog & Cat breeding included with the appropriate Breeder Permit for (#1 Personal or #2 Professional); Three, a byproduct is to eliminate indiscriminate backyard, puppy & kitten mill Breeders; Fourth, offences require severe penalty & fines, operated under the concept "Legislation Supported BY Education". We refer readers to www.thecouncilclaw.ca 'click' OUR POSITION ON ISSUES, scrolldown to SECTION 31 for complete details of the "ANIMAL RELATIONS PROGRAM". As well, www.thecouncilclaw.ca 'click' FINES & PENALTYS for recommended penalty. Assemblyman Lloyd Levine must be complimented for his compassion, diligence and courageous leadership.