Los Angeles: Removing your rights in the name of kindness

[awip2062]

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday signed one of the nation's toughest laws on pet sterilization, requiring most dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered by the time they are 4 months old.

The ordinance is aimed at reducing and eventually eliminating the thousands of euthanizations conducted in Los Angeles' animal shelters every year.

"We will, sooner rather than later, become a no-kill city and this is the greatest step in that direction," Councilman Tony Cardenas said as he held a kitten at a City Hall news conference.

Councilman Richard Alarcon, who like Cardenas is a co-author of the bill, brought his two pet Chihuahuas to the event to be neutered in a van operated by the city.

The ordinance does exempt some animals, including those that have competed in shows or sporting competitions, guide dogs, animals used by police agencies and those belonging to professional breeders.

The average pet owner, however, must have their dog or cat spayed or neutered by the time it reaches 4 months of age (as late as 6 months with a letter from a veterinarian). People with older unneutered pets and newcomers to the city with animals also have to obey the law.

First-time offenders will receive information on subsidized sterilization services and be given an additional 60 days. If they still fail to comply they could be fined $100 and ordered to serve eight hours of community service. A subsequent offense could result in a $500 fine or 40 hours of community service.

The ordinance brings the nation's second-largest city into line with about a dozen of its neighbors that have similar laws.

Many states require animals adopted from shelters to be sterilized, and New York City requires the same for animals bought from pet shops, but restrictions such as those in Southern California are rare. A 2006 Rhode Island law requires most cats to be sterilized.

A measure similar to Los Angeles' passed the California Assembly last year but did not gain state Senate support.

Los Angeles animal shelters took in 50,000 cats and dogs last year and euthanized approximately 15,000 at a cost of $2 million, according to city officials.

Bob Barker, the retired game-show host who famously ended every "Price is Right" show with a call for sterilizing pets, pushed for the law's adoption and was among those at Tuesday's news conference.

"The next time that you hear me say, 'Help control the pet population, have your pet spayed or neutered,' I can add, 'It's the law in Los Angeles,'" a jubilant Barker said.

[CygnusX1]

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday signed one of the nation's toughest laws on pet sterilization, requiring most dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered by the time they are 4 months old.

The ordinance is aimed at reducing and eventually eliminating the thousands of euthanizations conducted in Los Angeles' animal shelters every year.

"We will, sooner rather than later, become a no-kill city and this is the greatest step in that direction," Councilman Tony Cardenas said as he held a kitten at a City Hall news conference.

Councilman Richard Alarcon, who like Cardenas is a co-author of the bill, brought his two pet Chihuahuas to the event to be neutered in a van operated by the city.

The ordinance does exempt some animals, including those that have competed in shows or sporting competitions, guide dogs, animals used by police agencies and those belonging to professional breeders.

The average pet owner, however, must have their dog or cat spayed or neutered by the time it reaches 4 months of age (as late as 6 months with a letter from a veterinarian). People with older unneutered pets and newcomers to the city with animals also have to obey the law.

First-time offenders will receive information on subsidized sterilization services and be given an additional 60 days. If they still fail to comply they could be fined $100 and ordered to serve eight hours of community service. A subsequent offense could result in a $500 fine or 40 hours of community service.

The ordinance brings the nation's second-largest city into line with about a dozen of its neighbors that have similar laws.

Many states require animals adopted from shelters to be sterilized, and New York City requires the same for animals bought from pet shops, but restrictions such as those in Southern California are rare. A 2006 Rhode Island law requires most cats to be sterilized.

A measure similar to Los Angeles' passed the California Assembly last year but did not gain state Senate support.

Los Angeles animal shelters took in 50,000 cats and dogs last year and euthanized approximately 15,000 at a cost of $2 million, according to city officials.

Bob Barker, the retired game-show host who famously ended every "Price is Right" show with a call for sterilizing pets, pushed for the law's adoption and was among those at Tuesday's news conference.

"The next time that you hear me say, 'Help control the pet population, have your pet spayed or neutered,' I can add, 'It's the law in Los Angeles,'" a jubilant Barker said.

i'm all about that, but one thing comes to mind....

All those pit bulls - and nowhere to go.

[Soup4Rush]

I am not sure how I feel about that. We had our lab spayed prior to her becoming a woman dog (if you get my drift) the only reason was that I did not want to deal with that mess. however who is the state to tell you what to do with your dog. professional breeders?? who are they? what if you want to mate your dogs ands sell the puppies. My guess is that would make you a professional breeder, which I am sure you have to pay some sort of fee for. which means revenue. but I do agree, if you have a dog as a pet, you should probably have it fixed.

[YYZ30]

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday signed one of the nation's toughest laws on pet sterilization, requiring most dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered by the time they are 4 months old.

The ordinance is aimed at reducing and eventually eliminating the thousands of euthanizations conducted in Los Angeles' animal shelters every year.

"We will, sooner rather than later, become a no-kill city and this is the greatest step in that direction," Councilman Tony Cardenas said as he held a kitten at a City Hall news conference.

Councilman Richard Alarcon, who like Cardenas is a co-author of the bill, brought his two pet Chihuahuas to the event to be neutered in a van operated by the city.

The ordinance does exempt some animals, including those that have competed in shows or sporting competitions, guide dogs, animals used by police agencies and those belonging to professional breeders.

The average pet owner, however, must have their dog or cat spayed or neutered by the time it reaches 4 months of age (as late as 6 months with a letter from a veterinarian). People with older unneutered pets and newcomers to the city with animals also have to obey the law.

First-time offenders will receive information on subsidized sterilization services and be given an additional 60 days. If they still fail to comply they could be fined $100 and ordered to serve eight hours of community service. A subsequent offense could result in a $500 fine or 40 hours of community service.

The ordinance brings the nation's second-largest city into line with about a dozen of its neighbors that have similar laws.

Many states require animals adopted from shelters to be sterilized, and New York City requires the same for animals bought from pet shops, but restrictions such as those in Southern California are rare. A 2006 Rhode Island law requires most cats to be sterilized.

A measure similar to Los Angeles' passed the California Assembly last year but did not gain state Senate support.

Los Angeles animal shelters took in 50,000 cats and dogs last year and euthanized approximately 15,000 at a cost of $2 million, according to city officials.

Bob Barker, the retired game-show host who famously ended every "Price is Right" show with a call for sterilizing pets, pushed for the law's adoption and was among those at Tuesday's news conference.

"The next time that you hear me say, 'Help control the pet population, have your pet spayed or neutered,' I can add, 'It's the law in Los Angeles,'" a jubilant Barker said.

I am all for spaying and neutering, but is this another example of the nanny state taking over and telling us how to live?

[ElfDude]

Comments forthcoming when I have more time.

[awip2062]

As an adult I have had all of my bitches spayed, and, had I any males they would have been neuterd, too. As a kid things were different because my folks were Doberman breeders. My cats get spayed or neutered, too. My rats, well, I only purchase females, so there is no worry there.

I have no problem with spaying and neutering my whole issue with this is that we are being told we HAVE to spay or neuter.

Now you tell me, where in the constitution does it say the government has a right to force us to do this to our pets? Show it me in the CA state constitution.

[Soup4Rush]

As an adult I have had all of my bitches spayed.

I tried to get her to do it, but I had a vasectomy instead.

[awip2062]

Oh Soupy, you are just asking for the duct tape!

[ElfDude]

Now you tell me, where in the constitution does it say the government has a right to force us to do this to our pets?

Okay, this is as good of a place to talk about this as anywhere. Some stuff I've been learning lately.

I noticed some time ago that most liberals hate being called liberals. This puzzled me, since I'm not at all ashamed to be called a conservative. Anyway, a lot of them call themselves "progressives". Not long ago Hillary was asked if she was a liberal and she replied that she thinks of herself as a progressive in the tradition of early 20th century progressives. Who were they? I didn't really know.

Well, it turns out that she's very accurate in that self-description. The early 20th century progressives were the ones who brought us the 18th amendment... prohibition. Am I saying that Hillary wants to reinstitute prohibition? Not on alcohol, but modern progressives share the same ban-everything-that's-bad-for-us-and-screw-freedom attitude.

To back up that assertion I could point you to the article above. "You're too stupid to know what to do with your pets so we're forcing you to do this by law." What's happening in New York? The banning of any eating establishment cooking with trans-fats. "You're too stupid to know what you shouldn't eat so we're passing trans-fat prohibition!" What about all the places that are trying to ban you from smoking in your car or even in your house because you're so stupid and you need to be taken care of? Or talking on the phone in your car? I've heard a number of people suggest prohibiting anyone from owning cars that don't get at least 20 mpg. The list of freedoms that progressives are trying to prohibit grows and grows. Anyone who calls themself a progressive... I finally know what it means.

[awip2062]

Progressively fewer rights?

[Walkinghairball]

ElfDude said:

Not on alcohol, but modern progressives share the same ban-everything-that's-bad-for-us-and-screw-freedom attitude.

Reminds me of the movie Demolition Man.

[Soup4Rush]

Now you tell me, where in the constitution does it say the government has a right to force us to do this to our pets?

Not long ago Hillary was asked if she was a liberal and she replied that she thinks of herself as a progressive in the tradition of early 20th century progressives. Who were they? I didn't really know.

speaking of bitches who need to be spayed..

[Me]

Just a quick lazy post.
Sounds like someone listens to too much Rush limburger cheese? At any rate is this a tribute to the late Bob Barker ... ruff, ruff? Perhaps it's all well and good for a large metropolitan are such as LA ...but there's always going to be your suboptimal brain chemistry that likes the taste of mail men in shorts> Are we stepping on evolution or are we nothing more than our long ago ancient relatives the clever monkeys replicating happily in banana trees? As it is with the strange weather probably contributing to the bacterial porn and the flu out break, but that's another story for another thread. (I slipped a bit forgive me) I'll have to hem and haw over this snip, snip of mutts for the sake of reducing a possible food source.

[ElfDude]

Now you tell me, where in the constitution does it say the government has a right to force us to do this to our pets? Show it me in the CA state constitution.

On the flip-side of this, t, I think it's safe to say that this issue is not mentioned at all in the U.S. Constitution, like MOST issues (the Federal Government was never meant to rule over us on all aspects of our lives). So, this would be considered a 10th amendment issue, or states issue. Since the California state constitution is likely also silent on this issue, the state lawmakers are within their rights to propose such a law. If California residents don't like the law, they can sign petitions and get it on the ballot for the next election.

I'm still sick of nanny-state governance though.

[Kares4Rush]

These sumptuary laws literally make me sick. They do.

I SEE where people are stupid these days. Not in their inabilities to control themselves (or their pets) but in allowing them to pass. Often if it is "socially acceptible" (like all the anti-smoking laws going further and further into our private lives) then somehow the law seems OK. NOT!!! Often the laws have NOTHING to do with protecting anyone. They're about control. Pure and simple

We all know smoking is a nasty and dangerous habit but that's not the point. The point is that eventually these laws erode our rights more and more and evenutally will gain enough momentum to strip us bare. If you hate smoking. Fine. But in supporting these laws you are also leaving yourself open to something that WILL affect you personally. It's sickening.

My father is a cardio vascular and thoracic surgeon. He KNOWS the dangers of smoking. But he is one of the biggest advocates in the state of New York in the quest against these and other sumptuary laws. He sees a bigger picture here other than people choosing to ruin their own health. Whether it be smoking (oh the HOOPLA and smoke and mirrors and bs behind the whole "secondary smoke" thing) or trans fat or whatever. The agendas are rediculous and we are asleep at the switch.