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Photo: Dallas Animal Services
A pet spay and neuter law in Los Angeles is days away from having teeth, and officials in other cities across the nation are debating whether to enact similar laws.
Los Angeles pet owners have until Oct. 1 to comply with the law, or face fines and face criminal charges. After a written warning, pet owners who still don't obey can face a fine of up to $500 or a misdemeanor charge.
Most dogs and cats over four-months-old must be spayed or neutered, with a few exceptions, including pets used for breeding or guide dogs. Owners must have documentation for any pets that are exempt from the law.
In Dallas, citizens have until Oct. 25 to spay or neuter their pets. The city's plan includes a free pet spay and neuter program for low-income residents, the first in Texas.
A female dog and her mate and all of their puppies -- if none are spayed or neutered -- can total 67,000 dogs in six years, according to Dallas Animal Services.
Spay and neuter laws have spurred hot debates in other cities, including Houston and Chicago.
Supporters say too many pets are being euthanized after they wind up in shelters because their owners couldn't care for them or didn't want them anymore.
Every year, as many as seven million pets enter animal shelters across the nation and up to four million are euthanized because of a lack of space or adequate resources, according to the ASPCA. But opponents say that government agencies should not regulate pet ownership. Others believe that the laws are too restrictive for responsible breeders. Opponents also say that education campaigns about proper pet care would be more effective than laws.
Comments
Even if a female dog became pregnant each time she was in season, which is only twice each year if that, and even if she had 10 puppies each time in six years that would be 120 puppies.
This assumes each puppy is fully gestated and then actually born.
If the purpose of government is to care for the people, then providing the people with education fulfills that purpose.
The quote from Dallas Animal Services, like many government statistics in this area, is not based on reality. If none are spayed or neutered, if they all breed on each heat, if all survive birth, if all are healthy enough to reproduce, if they live a normal life span for the breed, and depending on the breed of dog and size of the litters in that breed, the number may be theoretically possible, but it does not happen in the real world.
Sterilizing dogs because shelter can't handle the numbers because of space and funding limitations, makes as much sense as doing away with all shelters because some have to euthanize animals. It's the shelters that euthanize, so they must be the problem:-)
We could do away with the need for adoption agencies for humans and address worldwide food shortages if we sterilized all people at age 10 as well, but no rational person thinks that is a solution to the human overpopulation problem or food distribution problem.
As the former head of one of the largest animal control agencies in the U.S., I can tell you what is needed is better partnering between shelters and rescue groups and education to provide owners with alternatives to giving up dogs they see as "problems," whether due to behavior or clashing with the decor (yes, people have turned over their pets for reasons like that.)
The people that follow laws like mandatory spay neuter are not the same people providing the animals running the streets. I think the concept of gang members lining up to get their pets spayed and neutered because of a new 'law' is ludicrous.
Nanny government won't fix this problem. The shelters need reform, and low cost spay neuter IS part of the solution. Putting people in a position to hide their animals often decreases rabies compliance (a real public health threat)and vet care for those animals. It's the wrong way to try to solve a problem. Ravensara
The idea that responsible behavior of owners can be forced through legislation that requires invasive surgical procedures is ludicrous.
To assume that ownership = irresponsibility to is say that citizens are not capable of self management and must be controlled firmly by their government. That's been tried on our shores before and it didn't end so well for the British.
Does every person who owns a performance vehicle drive it over the speed limit, causing a public nuisance? Officers write tickets for this daily and other traffic infractions, even for lowly compacts and yes, clean air vehicles, but should all vehicles capable of moving in speed excess of posed limits be banned? Or have their engines permanently damaged?
Does every person who enjoys an alcoholic beverage take it to extremes? Do they fall down drunk after imbibing even a drop? Do they all crash their cars into sober drivers? A glass of wine over dinner, and allowing someone else to drive, does not equal a DUI conviction or suspending a license and paying fines. People go to court every day for charges related to alcohol but the majority of drinkers are not a problem.
In the great state of Texas, gun ownership and possession is about as common as breathing. Does every person with a firearm rob a liquor store or bank? Do they run wild in the streets shooting at anything that moves? There are cases where someone has and they are punished for the action but I'd bet if you told every Texan to hand over their rifles, shotguns and small arms, you'd have a revolution the likes of which God has never seen.
I have a girl in season at this very moment. She isn't spayed and probably never will be. There's a large boy here complaining ..loudly...about being denied access to her. Tough luck buddy. I'm a responsible person- like the majority of my fellow pet owning friends- and it isn't happening. There is no need to forcibly strip her organs from her body to prevent this, because I am educated enough to know what appropriate breeding practices are. And to not engage in risky activities. When and if she is ever to be bred, it will be done in a responsible manner, with full home checks and vetted applications from people qualified and responsible enough to carry on the same ethics as I do.
So, citizens of America, are you going to be told to go sit at the kid's table while the grown ups handle everything, or are you going to take a stand for personal responsibility and protect your right to continue to do so?
Mandatory spay/neuter laws have never been effective in reducing shelter intakes, and have caused Animal Services costs to surge greatly wherever implemented. LA's animal services has already admitted that they can't afford to enforce this law, and they're counting on State money to do so. Mandatory spay/neuter is a bad deal any way you look at it.
67,000 puppies in 6 years? HOGWASH
THIS LIE HAS BEEN PERPETRATED SO MANY TIMES THAT SOME UNKNOWLEDGABLE PEOPLE HAVE COME TO BELIEVE IT. When the LA County Supervisors voted mandatory spay/neuter for Los Angeles, this quot was used by the proponents and even one of the councilmen gaufawed that ofcourse it was just a number to make a point and ofcourse it wasn't intended as fact. But you just repeated it because you don't know better. Call your local veterinarian for confirmation of this World Record.
Mandatory spay and neuter MUST be combined with easily accessible low cost/free clinics!! You can't tell someone to cough up money they don't have or you just get another animal at the pound.
As someone who has been doing rescue for years I believe the numbers quoted for being euthanized are low. This country kills millions and millions of adoptable animals a year. It's a Holocaust! If people won't spay and neuter voluntarily through ignorance or lack of caring what else can you do, but legislate?
As for Texas, I see a LOT of abuse and high kill shelter statistics coming from that state. Don't wave your rights in front of someone who has worked to save your dogs from death. I'm not impressed. YOU get busy and demand better shelters, better adoption programs and better owner education -- AND free clinics! You want free speech -- speak up for those with no voice of their own!
Regarding the comment that "A female dog and her mate and all of their puppies -- if none are spayed or neutered -- can total 67,000 dogs" --theoretically a human being can have 50 kids (twins each year from age 15 to 40, but it isn't realistic to use that as a calculation for population growth. The same applies to the 67,000 dogs number. The presumption that All litters will be a large number (the average litter is 4, not 12 or 21) that ALL pups survive that ALL pups then have litters of 15+..... The fact is that the overall percentage of animals in shelters was going DOWN relative to total numbers of animals -- until LA "improved" things with their MSN. Given global warming and other ecological issues, it makes more sense to insist on MSN of people than it does pets. Where insistance by LA that "the law doesn't apply here" becasue of fears of being considered racist it's no wonder that then dog laws aren't obvserved either. Many immigrants have different cultural views of how to manage pets -- education and enforcement of leash laws would go much further towards ending the issue of 50% of shelter dogs being "pit" types. An intelligent trap/neuter system would help address feral cats. And oh by the way, how about spending money on Metro safety instead of Castrating Rover?
Peggy R.
The Dallas Animal count of 67000 puppies from a single dog is absurd. Animal Rights propoganda rising it's head.
IS the animal shelter, not their reproductive efforts or owners. The number one cause of surrender of pets to shelters is moving and unexpected time to care for the pet. The lowest reason on the list is homeless condition for litter mates. Failed animal shelter protocol [outreach for fostering, adoption, inclusion of volunteers] and pet bans are the reason for euthanasia. But they blame the victim. With mandatory spay/nueter causes MORE pets to end up surrendered to the shelter not less.
L
Manditory Spay/Neuter laws have been known to actually increase shelter intakes. However, low cost spay/neuter solutions could greatly reduce the shelter intakes.
I'd like to see the math that calculates to 67,000 puppies in a single year.
The point is: Yes (pets) should be spay/neutered. There are way too many dogs, cats now in shelters, and to few no kill shelters. If "yuppies" wouldn't buy "cute" kittens/ dogs then when they become cats and dogs they don't fit there life style. I have two labs and at 6 mo. they where taken care of. How would you like the job of putting these cuties to sleep?
Hey Dawn, it goes like this: A female dog and her mate and all of their puppies -- if none are spayed or neutered -- can total 67,000 dogs in SIX years, according to Dallas Animal Services.
Janegael, that's a quality post. My heart goes out to you as well as I feel your passion and pain from being so close to the slaughter. It's the breeders who mainly oppose this, and they use a variety of scare tactics to do it. Others don't want government in their business, so they say. Others say this attacks the responsible and does nothing to those who disregard law and responsibility, anyway. Well, do you not put that stop sign at the deadly intersection because some will continue to go right through? Do you not add speed limits because some won't abide? Do you not add law resulting from a defeatist attitude and instead permit chaos, anarchy and unscrupulous action? To hell with some of you who say it's my personal property right. Millions of deaths annually say something else. And for the betterment of the common good a mandatory spay/neuter law combined with low-cost/no-cost sterilization is the route to go. With the commercialization of this law comes an education on why this is being done and the health benefits to a pet that come with it.
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