AVAR Supporting Animal Overpopulation Ordinance for Sacramento (CA)- Click here to view text of ordinance.- Posted February 2006
In February, the coalition presented a proposed Animal Overpopulation Ordinance to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors for consideration. This ordinance was developed after more than a year of monthly meetings during which the group researched how other communities had successfully dealt with this problem. The proposed Sacramento ordinance is modeled after breeding controls passed in communities such as the City of Los Angeles and Asheville County, North Carolina. These communities have implemented high licensing fees and breeding permits for unaltered animals and seen a sizeable drop in the number of animals entering their shelters. The Sacramento proposal follows this model but simplifies the approach by requesting one high licensing fee of $200 for unaltered animals. (Breeders who meet certain criteria can qualify for a $50 licensing fee for their unaltered animals.) The focus of this ordinance is to give animal control a tool to crack down on backyard breeders. These are individuals who allow their animals to have litter after litter with no regard to the animal's individual health or to the contribution they are making to the overpopulation problem. When animal control identifies individuals with unaltered and unlicensed animals in these type of situations, the ordinance provides a financial incentive to spay and neuter rather than pay the licensing fee and related fines. Speaking in support of the overpopulation ordinance at the February workshop were AVAR National Director Teri Barnato and AVAR Director of Companion Animal Issues Pam Runquist. The group was also joined by award-winning actress Loretta Swit and more than 30 animal advocates, representing several national, state and local animal protection organizations. Nine dog and cat breeders spoke in opposition to the ordinance. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors has requested that the coalition meet with community groups and research some additional information on licensing in the Sacramento community. The ordinance is tentatively scheduled to come back to the board for a vote in two to three months. For more information or a copy of the proposed ordinance, please contact pam@avar.org. |
AVAR is one of the founding members of the Coalition to Stop Animal Overpopulation, a group of animal protection organizations,
city and county animal control agencies, and individual animal rescuers who are committed to reducing animal overpopulation and
euthanasia rates in the Sacramento region. More than 20,000 animals are still killed annually at the three Sacramento area shelters.
Speaking in support of proposed Animal Overpopulation Ordinance were (from left to right) Hector Cazares of the City of Sacramento
Animal Care Services, Nicole Paquette of Animal Protection Institute, Pam Runquist of Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights,
Pat Claerbout of the County of Sacramento Department of Animal Care and Regulation, Loretta Swit, Teri Barnato of AVAR, Rick Johnson of
Sacramento SPCA.