County of Sacramento Takes Proactive Step to Reduce Cat and Dog Overpopulation
April 18, 2007
SACRAMENTO (April 18) -- The Coalition to Stop Animal Overpopulation, a group of animal protection organizations and animal control representatives, today praised the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors for taking a proactive step to reduce cat and dog overpopulation in our community and the tragic killing of animals in local shelters.
At a hearing yesterday, the Board of Supervisors, by a vote of 4-1, gave initial approval to an Animal Overpopulation Ordinance that promotes spaying and neutering of cats and dogs and restricts out-of-control breeding. The focus of the ordinance is higher licensing fees for unaltered cats and dogs ($150) versus a much lower license fee for animals who are spayed or neutered ($15). There is a reduced unaltered fee ($45) for animals who are registered with breed groups and meet certain criteria.
The county's Department of Animal Care and Regulation will use these licensing fees and accompanying fines as a financial incentive to crack down on problem breeding situations. Any citations issued under the ordinance will be fix-it tickets with fines and higher fees waived if animals are sterilized. Fines collected under the ordinance will help fund spay-neuter programs for low-income families. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled for a final vote on the ordinance on May 8.
"By indicating its approval for this measure, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors has demonstrated its proactive position regarding the welfare of animals in our community and our collective commitment to reduce overpopulation and the euthanasia in our shelters," said Pat Claerbout, director of the Department of Animal Care and Regulation.
"We applaud the four supervisors who approved this ordinance and have taken a strong stand against out-of-control breeding in the Sacramento region," said Pam Runquist, coordinator of the Coalition to Stop Animal Overpopulation. Runquist works for the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights, a founding member of the coalition. "Now animal control has a tool to deal with problem breeding situations and a strong incentive to encourage people to spay or neuter their companion animals."
The lone no vote was from Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan, who said she didn't think the ordinance would work despite testimony that similar ordinances have successfully reduced animal intake at shelters in other communities. MacGlashan also appeared to disregard results of a Zogby International Poll that found that a majority of Citrus Heights residents (which is in her district) think it is fair to charge breeders a much higher fee to license their animals than people who spay and neuter their animals in an effort to regulate breeding.
During the past year, approximately one out of every two animals who entered the three area shelters (City of Sacramento, Sacramento County and Sacramento SPCA shelters) were euthanized or about 18,000 cats and dogs. Meanwhile, hundreds of cats and dogs are listed for sale daily in The Sacramento Bee and hundreds more on Internet websites. The Coalition to Stop Animal Overpopulation has been working for more than two years to develop ordinances that would restrict excessive breeding in our region. A similar ordinance was approved by the City of Sacramento in March.
To view a copy of the ordinance, go to the Sacramento County website at: http://www.acr.saccounty.net/news/Animal-Ordinance/default.html
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