Not just cats either. I like dogs too. In fact, there aren't many animals that I don't like (obviously, I don't like snakes- they are icky and gross). I do believe that animals should be treated humanely and that they have rights. I hate PETA and HSUS. I also can't stand the law that just passed in CA.
Today, Los Angeles signed into effect a mandatory pet sterilization law. Animals will, by law, have to be surgically sterilized. There will be exceptions of course. Those exceptions are exactly what makes this wrong.
They want to become a No-Kill city. It's a great goal (low-kill is a better, more appropriate term though). I completely support fewer animals being needlessly killed. Wouldn't it be great if all shelters could be low-kill? Animals wouldn't need to be killed just because there just isn't room.
However, mandatory spay/neuter laws are not going to achieve this. The people who are willing to comply with these laws would have had their pets sterilized anyway. What about the people who never take their pet to a vet anyway? Not even for routine care. They are already ignoring mandatory licensing of pets (pets need to have an up-to-date rabies vaccine to be licensed and only licensed vets are legally allowed to administer rabies vaccines). So what makes you think that these people are going to change their ways and become pet-law abiding citizens?
Then, of course, you have the back yard breeders. These people have no business breeding pets to begin with. They think puppies/kittens are cute. They are in it for the MONEY. So as long as you have the money, you are the right person to adopt from them. Back yard breeders rarely have the know how to produce a quality litter. The 'purebred' (but he has 'papers') you buy from them will likely have a bucket full of genetic problems. Think that the law will stop the back yard breeder? Nope. Probably not. They will have to have a vet working with them (vet checked puppies can be sold for a lot more). But this vet will probably be outside of the mandated area. The breeder will have an alternate address to 'comply' with the law.
Worse yet we have the puppy mills. Nothing like a factory farmed puppy! Ah, can you smell the parvo? Puppy mills are EXEMPT from this law. They are 'Professional Breeders'. Do I really need to spell out why puppy mills are evil? I can send you links if you are interested in why you should NEVER buy from a puppy mill. So now the puppy mills, who do not have to spay/neuter their money makers, are producing low quality puppies. Lots of them too. The money makers are not genetically screened. The puppies have had little to no human contact prior to adoption, yet the 'Professional Breeders' have done no temperament screening. They don't screen potential owners either. Hand over the money and we'll throw a puppy at you.
Dogs from puppy mills are much more likely to end up in a shelter. Owners end up with a dog that has medical issues they can't afford to treat, behavior issues that they are not prepared to deal with, or a breed of dog that simply doesn't fit in with their lifestyle.
With a responsible breeder, you know what you are getting (no surprises about how big they are going to get, how much they eat, how much exercise and grooming they require). Medical issues are going to happen, but a responsible breeder does genetic screening prior to breeding to lessen the chance that they will produce unhealthy puppies. If something goes wrong and you just can't keep the dog anymore, for whatever reason, a responsible breeder will take the dog back. Even years down the road. Puppy mills will not.
Where do you think those dogs end up? The owners don't want to/can't keep the dog anymore. The puppy mill won't take it back (it has probably been spayed/neutered-thanks to the new law- and is now unusable to them). Guess what? That dog is now going to the shelter. Isn't that ironic? The very thing that this law is trying to avoid (less animals in the shelter means less animals killed at the shelter) is happening because of an exemption to the law.
Responsible breeders and those that show their pets (tons of overlap in those groups) are being punished. Responsible breeders can apply for exemption. Which is great. They will fill out the paperwork and do whatever is necessary. They love the breed that they are breeding and want to make it better. Why make it harder for them? The people who show their pets will also be exempted. If they show their pet by the age of 4 months. Umm, this sounds lovely, but the reality is that AKC shows (as do most others) have a minimum age of 6 months to participate. How does this exempt them? Their 4 month old can't participate in the show for 2 more months.
Not to mention that they are taking away the decision to do what is best for your pet from you. You no longer have any say in it. Yep, you can't decide what is best for your pet. You law abiding people are too stupid to make those decisions.
Since the government seems to know what's best for out pets, maybe now they can help us all find a healthy, poison free food for our pets. Wouldn't that be great?
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