The Fix Is In
After Santos walked away with Ruby, Austin vented her frustration. "That guy had no good reason, no social conscience," she said. "That's a perfect example of why the law is necessary. His female dog in heat will make every dog in the neighborhood more aggressive."
Santos, however, has some high-profile allies. The Westminster Kennel Club, which puts on the popular Best in Show competition, is fighting the L.A. ordinance and a similar law in the California legislature. (Dogs that are spayed or neutered cannot enter such competitions.)
"We think we know what's best for our dogs in terms of their health," says David Frei, the Westminster Dog Show host, who recently appeared on "Good Day L.A." with Best in Show winner Uno the beagle, to argue against the law. The WKC also made a donation to the Concerned Dog Owners of California (CDOC), a group of breeders and owners that formed last year to fight the spay and neuter laws.
Austin points out that the WKC is a member of the American Kennel Club, which makes its money registering purebred puppies. "They are in the business of promoting as many dogs breeding as possible," she says. "It's all about money."
The CDOC, however, claims the law is unconstitutional and plans to file a legal challenge in the next few weeks. "I think anyone who buys the right kind of dog and has a lot of disposable income can buy their way out of this law," says Cathie Turner, executive director of the CDOC, who has owned show dogs. "This is a law directed at low-income people who don't have the right dog."
Turner accuses Villaraigosa of "caving in" to pressure from animal rights activists, some of whom protested outside the home of his chief of staff. She says mandatory laws don't work, and she comes armed with studies supposedly showing that spaying and neutering dogs at a young age may harm their health more than help it.
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Member Comments
Posted By: amcpike @ 05/01/2008 6:53:10 PM
Comment: I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who has adopted laws similar to those in L.A., but go even further. Here, all dogs and cats must be spayed or neutered and you can purchase an intact permit for $150 per pet, per year. All pets must be microchipped, and have current vaccinations. They must also have a city license. The $6 fee for the city license goes into a fund to help low income residents to spay and neuter their pets, but where do you think the intact permit fees go? Directly into the City's slush fund. There are even laws regarding the shade and shelter for your pets and amounts of food and water that must be present, etc.
These laws are a blatant disregard for the rights of pet owners. These laws do not punish the law breakers. Those that don't care about their animals will continue to let them run loose and will not bother with the new laws. When they get caught for violating, then they just surrender the animal and get another one down the road. These laws punish those of us that care deeply for our animals. I for one show my animals and so I am punished with high fees to keep them intact. I can guarantee that mine don't get out. Shouldn't I have to pay a fine when they do, rather than be charged up front for something that they have not done. My dogs will not be bred irresponsibly. They may not be bred at all if we do not feel their traits are worth passing on to better the breed. As far as the AKC being in it for the money. They are a non-profit organization. How could they be in it for the money?
There are legitimate studies that show the health risks of spaying and neutering animals. The animal activists have their hearts in the right place, but I think fines should only be levied if someone is proven to be in violation. Low cost procedures should be offered, but the process should be voluntary, not required. We cannot possibly save all of the unwanted animals. Making these laws will not make the problem disappear, but rather make good law abiding citizens into outlaws if they don't want to comply because they show or breed dogs.
Posted By: BadGas @ 04/24/2008 4:47:33 PM
Comment: Maybe people that do not want to spay and neuter their pets could work in the animal shelter for a week euthanizing unwanted animals...
Posted By: BadGas @ 04/24/2008 4:46:26 PM
Comment: Maybe folks that dont want to spay or neuter their animals could work in the animal shelter euthanizing animals for a week...