New Orleans is considering mandatory spay/neuter legislation (1 Viewer)

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If you want to prevent the animal rights activists from becoming even more powerful than they already are, please call your representative and ask them to vote against this costly and ineffective law:

from http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3964
<table cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td>New Orleans to Consider MSN & Breeding Limits </td> </tr> <tr> <td> Print This Article </td> </tr> <tr> <td> [Wednesday, September 23, 2009] </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> A mandatory spay/neuter and breeding restrictions ordinance is under consideration by the New Orleans City Council. The ordinance, which was introduced by Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, will require all dogs to be sterilized by six months of age or force their owners to purchase a costly breeder permit. It is likely that the ordinance will be considered at the city council’s upcoming meeting on Thursday, October 1st. The American Kennel Club, which opposes the ordinance, believes that this proposal is unreasonable, difficult and costly to enforce, potentially unconstitutional, and will do nothing to protect the health and welfare of dogs. It is imperative that all concerned responsible dog owners and breeders in New Orleans contact the members of the New Orleans City Council and respectfully yet strongly urge them to vote down this proposal.
The American Kennel Club opposes mandatory spay/neuter laws. Instead, we support reasonable and enforceable laws that protect the welfare and health of purebred dogs and do not restrict the rights of breeders and owners who take their responsibilities seriously. Additionally, we strongly support and actively promote a wide range of programs to educate the public about responsible breeding practices and the responsibilities of dog ownership.
If enacted, the new ordinance will impose many new unreasonable requirements on responsible dog owners in New Orleans, which include:

  • Requiring all dogs six months of age or older (with few exceptions) to be spayed or neutered or force owners to purchase costly $50 breeder permits to keep any dog intact. Mandatory spay/neuter ordinances have not been effective anywhere they have been adopted. In fact, in many cases the euthanization rates in surrounding areas have declines faster than in those areas with mandatory spay/neuter policies. Additionally, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have both issued policy statements in the past year stating that mandatory spay/neuter policies are not effective. Enforcement of existing law, including leash laws, is a better alternative.
  • Limiting female dogs from whelping more than one litter per year, or whelping a litter if the female is younger than 18-months of age. The AKC opposes any arbitrary limitation on the responsible breeding of purebred dogs, and believes health and reproduction decisions are best made by owners in consultation with their dogs’ veterinarian.
  • Permitting the Louisiana SPCA, which will be responsible for enforcement of this ordinance, to determine whether or not an applicant for a breeder license has “space determined to be suitable…in which to breed dogs and raise puppies.” As there are no specific guidelines included in the ordinance, it is not clear what a breeder would need to do to be approved. This will allow for subjective and arbitrary decisions that may cost responsible breeders thousands of dollars to come into compliance, or may prohibit them from breeding at all.
  • Imposing significant fines for those who are found to be in violation of the ordinance, with the income from the fines to be used to further finance the LaSPCA’s animal control efforts. The AKC contends that the cost of enforcement of the ordinance will be far greater than any revenues gained through fines or fees assessed. Further, it may cause a drop in licensing compliance, as otherwise responsible may owners seek to avoid high fees they are unable to pay. It may also lead owners to avoid proper veterinary care and vaccinations in order to avoid detection.
Please click here for a copy of the proposal.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
The American Kennel Club strongly urges all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in New Orleans to contact the City Council members. Let them know that you strongly oppose this ordinance, and urge them to vote against it. Instead, encourage them to strengthen enforcement of New Orleans’ existing animal control laws. For a sample letter that you can download and customize, please click here.
Council President Arnie Fielkow (At-Large)
City Hall, Room 2W40
1300 Perdido Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1060
Fax: (504) 658-1068
afielkow@cityofno.com
Council Vice President Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson (At-Large)
City Hall, Room 2W50
1300 Perdido Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1070
Fax: (504) 658-1077
jbclarkson@cityofno.com
Councilwoman Shelley Midura (District A)
City Hall, Room 2W80
1300 Perdido Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1010
Fax: (504) 658-1016
smidura@cityofno.com
Councilwoman Stacy Head (District B)
City Hall, Room 2W10
1300 Perdido Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1020
Fax: (504) 658-1025
shead@cityofno.com
Councilman James Carter (District C)
City Hall, Room 2W70
1300 Perdido Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1030
Fax: (504) 658-1037
jcarter@cityofno.com
Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell (District D) – ordinance sponsor
City Hall, Room 2W20
1300 Perdido Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1040
Fax: (504) 658-1048
chmorrell@cityofno.com
Councilwoman Cynthia Willard-Lewis (District E)
City Hall, Room 2W60
1300 Perdido Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1050
Fax: (504) 658-1058
cwlewis@cityofno.com
For more information and the latest developments on the New Orleans mandatory spay/neuter proposal, please contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.
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This legislation affects everyone who loves dogs (and cats), not just breeders. Please let your voice be heard.
 
All my pets are altered because I don't want them breeding or being bred. This is responsible behavior. What the hell are we supposed to do with all the damn strays and new litters of kittens every two months? Who pays for them to be housed until adoption or put down?
 
I agree with you that all pets that are not intended to be bred should be spayed or neutered. You are definitely preaching to the choir here. However, this form of legislation has been unsuccessful in all other areas in which it has been put into place. In fact, passing this kind of legislation floods the shelters and increases the feral population with pets abandoned by owners who cannot afford to spay or neuter their pets and who are afraid of being prosecuted for it.
 
I think you should have to have a breeding license for any pet that you do not have spayed or neutered. This license should only cost about $5 per animal but it should require you to present the animal every year(or at some periodic interval) at a local vet just as proof that you have not purposely or inadvertently released a breeding animal into the wild. If an individual is found to have lost their pet there should be a fine, and anyone found keeping a pet that is not licensed should receive a steep fine. Those fines and the licensing fee should be used to provide free spay/neutering for pet owners who do not have any desire to have a breeding animal.

Intentional or unintentional the stray population is a highly dangerous and extremely costly problem nation wide.
 
Actually, over 70% of all pet dogs and over 80% of all pet cats are spayed or neutered and only 25% of all pets in shelters are (often erroneously) identified as being purebred. Fewer than 10% of those identified as being purebred are actually from breeders--and I've seen information that states less than 2% of the animals identified as being from breeders are from show/hobby (as opposed to backyard or commercial) breeders. A much more effective use of New Orleans still-limited funds would be to enforce the laws already on the books, to provide more money toward the people needed for controlling strays, and providing low/no cost spay and neuter clinics to low-income pet owners.

In addition, the way this proposal is written, it permits the LA/SPCA to identify people as breeders and as negligent and seize animals when "necessary." Most of the people who are with the LA/SPCA are volunteers and are untrained in this kind of task. In addition, because the proposed law does not identify the definition of "breeder" and because *anyone* whose pets produce puppies/kittens is considered a "breeder" by the animal rights/rescue communities, this law can affect anyone whose pet accidentally produces a litter--and the owner could face prosecution if the "facilities," usually a person's home, is found to be insufficient to the task of supporting a litter of puppies or kittens.

Finally, this proposed law would permit warrantless search and seizure of property (pets) by people who are not even sworn law enforcement officers. This proposed law is a bad, expensive, and ineffective law that will create more issues than it solves, as well as giving the animal rights activists another foothold for their agenda to eliminate all domestic animal ownership and use.
 
There is no reason why dogs should be bred in a city like New Orleans If this was St. Tammany Parish I might have sympathy. But even then, the fee is only $50 to opt out - not unreasonable.

And I don't take it as a given that similar laws are failures. Consider:

http://www.lvrj.com/news/36525354.html
 
That's a new one to me.

It's a new one to a lot of people, too; however, all you have to do is Google "Wayne Pacelle," "Ingrid Newkirk," "animal rights agenda," or "PeTA HSUS quotes" to find as much information as you might want to see. If you prefer real life examples to see that these organizations are not what they seem:

1) Several years ago, Colorado ranchers experienced terrible winter weather conditions. PeTA refused to participate in the air drop of food to the cattle, citing their eventual end on somebody's plate, ignoring the hunger that such a move would bring to both the public and the ranchers' families. When pressed, they also admitted that they would not help the starving wildlife as an alternative, since the creatures were born wild and did not need their assistance. (I listened to the interview online during the event; here is the link to the information)

http://www.heartland.org/policybot/results/20811/Many_States_Devastated_by_Frigid_Weather.html

2) PeTA and the HSUS are calling for more "anti-cruelty" measures that permit them to act as inspectors for farm animals (you know, the same animals they refused to help), permitting them to act as law enforcement officers if they "find violations."

3) Animal rights activists are often quoted as stating that red meat and milk products make people fat and lazy and that they are responsible for impotence and other ludicrous claims.

http://zeldalily.com/index.php/2009/08/peta-hopes-to-lure-you-to-vegetarianism-with-fat-shame/

4) PeTA and other animal rights activists are linked with Peter Singer, who has stated that "a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy" and states that he is of the belief that a developmentally delayed child has less value than a healthy monkey: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2337811/posts

PeTA and the HSUS are behind hundreds of bills that limit the number of animals you can have, the kinds of animals you can have, the penalties of breaking animal ownership laws, often seizure and euthanasia, of your pets, and many more things. They are associated with many radicals, including the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front.

These organizations are not "in it" for animals; rather, they desire control over peoples lives.
 
There is no reason why dogs should be bred in a city like New Orleans If this was St. Tammany Parish I might have sympathy. But even then, the fee is only $50 to opt out - not unreasonable.

And I don't take it as a given that similar laws are failures. Consider:

http://www.lvrj.com/news/36525354.html


This issue is not limited to New Orleans alone; rather, it is about pet ownership all over the United States. PeTA and the HSUS and their affiliates are setting local laws that create a foundation for more severe laws at a later date.
 
This issue is not limited to New Orleans alone; rather, it is about pet ownership all over the United States. PeTA and the HSUS and their affiliates are setting local laws that create a foundation for more severe laws at a later date.

Your fear of a United States controlled by PETA seems more than a little irrational.
 
Here in San Antonio,you have to purchase a permit if you want to keep your dog/cat unaltered.The city is trying to become a "no Kill" city with it's shelters.
 
Your fear of a United States controlled by PETA seems more than a little irrational.

I never said that the United States would be "controlled" by PeTA. It is,however, a fact that the mayor of Dallas is an animal rights activist who initiated many anti-breeder/anti-pet/anti-dog legislation even prior to her official term (when she was pro-temp), that PeTA's legal branch endorsed President Obama, that Cass Sunstein is an animal rights activist, and that and that both PeTA and the HSUS are now headquartered in Washington, D. C. It is also a fact that many news media groups have held these groups up as a standard of behavior in the Michael Vick situation and that some of the members of these groups are active in animal rights efforts (look at Jane Velez-Mitchell, for example). In addition, some "green" groups are taking serious the animal rights claim that cattle are the number one producers of greenhouse gasses in the world and are promoting legislation in association with that belief.

I am not paranoid, but I do believe that being proactive now is better than fondly looking back on the days when I could have a dog next to me on the couch when I am old and gray.
 
that PeTA's legal branch endorsed President Obama, that Cass Sunstein is an animal rights activist, and that and that both PeTA and the HSUS are now headquartered in Washington, D. C.
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I am not paranoid

Does not compute
 

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