Author Topic: Well, they've gone and done it now...  (Read 8040 times)

Offline NoDogNow

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Well, they've gone and done it now...
« on: April 19, 2006, 05:43:54 am »
And I didn't even hear that THIS was on the table!

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dogs19apr19,1,43619.story?coll=la-headlines-california

With exemptions only for "show dogs owned by registered breeders" and service dogs, LA County is planning to require ALL dogs be spayed or neutered.

Don't y'all think this is going just a little over the top? 

Sheryl, Dogless and sad

Offline chaos270

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Re: Well, they've gone and done it now...
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2006, 05:48:30 am »
How do they plan to regulate that one?...yeah you can tell with males but most females you wouldn't be able to tell unless they were in heat.  I'm sure people can get falsified spay certificates if they wanted and the unsavory individuals will continue to cause issues anyways.
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Offline Svnt4God

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Re: Well, they've gone and done it now...
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2006, 05:53:40 am »
The article refers to the Unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County ... this is actually a very small percentage of L.A. County.  It is not including Los Angeles City limits, nor any other city with Los Angeles County.

That doesn't make the issue any better, but just sets the perspective a little narrower.

Yes ... this should have been taken to the people first.

Offline newflvr

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Re: Well, they've gone and done it now...
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2006, 08:27:44 am »
Eighteen THOUSAND dogs put down??!!!  Unbelieveable!  Maybe we should get those humans who are not being responsible and spay them ...and THEN get to the dogs!  How can there be that many dogs who are not wanted by anybody?!  That number is just beyond belief!  I do think something has to be done!  I can totally agree with having a high licensing fee for un-neutered dogs.  For the females, of course it will be tough to insure compliance but at least if the males were taken care of there would be less unwanted puppies. :'( :'(

Offline ZooCrew

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Re: Well, they've gone and done it now...
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2006, 08:44:28 am »
I had this brought to my attention already.  I actually think it is a good idea.  People should be fixing their pets anyhow, this gives them an added incentive to do so (much smaller licensing fee)

True, there is really no way to enforce it.  But the semi responsible people out there (the ones who have "oops" litters b/c they didn't know any better) may be slowed down a bit.

As for the irresponsible people, well no matter what laws they make, there is really no stopping them from doing what they want anyway.

Offline marinafb

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Re: Well, they've gone and done it now...
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2006, 10:13:13 am »
 ;D

I also think it is a good idea. You have to start some where. There are so many homeless animals and people ignore this fact. Pitt bulls have 15 to even more in 1 litter. What are there chance's? If there not turned into fighting dogs they can't even find homes for them since most landlords and even homeowners insurance will not cover them on there policies.When they end up at the shelters as an adult dog people are afraid they have been in fights nobody wants them and they are put to sleep. Something needs to be done!  Marina
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Offline Scootergirl

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Re: Well, they've gone and done it now...
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2006, 10:17:42 am »
AS a semi-retired, professional volunteer rescuer, I agree with differential licensing as well. There's no reason to NOT have your dog altered unless you are going to breed him/her. This puts the heavy hand on the puppy miller's pocket book. If the county animal control is vigilant, it will follow up on the "for sale" ads in the paper to make sure these individuals are 1)licensing all adult dogs and 2)paying the correct fee for all unaltered animals. It is likely the backyard breeders won't be able to afford a high licensing fee for an uncontrollable amount of dogs and will be forced to seek alternative forms of income and let the dogs live in responsible, caring homes that want a pet and not a paycheck.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principle difference between dog and man." -- Mark Twain

Offline Svnt4God

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Re: Well, they've gone and done it now...
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2006, 12:58:29 pm »
Eighteen THOUSAND dogs put down??!!!  Unbelieveable!  Maybe we should get those humans who are not being responsible and spay them ...and THEN get to the dogs!  How can there be that many dogs who are not wanted by anybody?!  That number is just beyond belief!  I do think something has to be done!  I can totally agree with having a high licensing fee for un-neutered dogs.  For the females, of course it will be tough to insure compliance but at least if the males were taken care of there would be less unwanted puppies. :'( :'(


But do you know how easy it is to have a licensed dog?  Ever do that yourself?  I'd have to admit that I have.  I just don't like handing my money over to the City.  So ... is someone as responsible as me can get away with it... imagine how broad spread that is in L.A.County.   The County can raise their fees all they want, but if people don't bother licensing their dogs, the County collects ZERO dollars.


Offline newflvr

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Re: Well, they've gone and done it now...
« Reply #8 on: April 19, 2006, 08:41:43 pm »
SO true!!!  GRRRRR! >:(

I wish there was a better answer.  Back to education?  Going in to the schools and talking about what happens to puppies at the pound?  My kids had a teacher in seventh grade who did a whole section on the meat industry....an d every kid in the class was a vegatarian for at least a month....many still are as adults!  It sure forced parents in to having discussions that would never have come up without that teacher!  (it also led to a lot of anorexia...but that's a whole other issue..)

Offline NoDogNow

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Re: Well, they've gone and done it now...
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2006, 01:21:18 am »
The thing that annoyed me when I read this was that they ALREADY don't even attempt to enforce the licensing requirements, and most people that bother licensing their dogs are already probably responsible enough to have spayed or neutered them, given that there's already a differential fee--this new law is just going to increase the difference. 

It looks like a Gouge-the-Law-Abiding-Citizen law to me, rather than a real solution to the problem of homeless dogs. 

A better, more fair solution, would be to require all landlords with more than 4 units in a building to allow pets--they could write a law so that proof of pet liability insurance is required to be provided to landlords--but from MY perspective, it's stupid to make such a big deal about how many dogs are homeless, given that at least 70% of the people who live in LA aren't ALLOWED to give them homes!  Obviously, I work in an office of dog lovers given the magazines I work on--but less than half of us have babies, because we live in buildings where the landlord won't allow pets. 

I bet that the JUST THE SOUTH BAY could have rehomed EVERY ONE OF THOSE DOGS last year if anyone who could pass the adoption screening could actually bring one home without getting evicted.

Sheryl, Dogless and sad

Offline nickerbokker

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Re: Well, they've gone and done it now...
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2006, 01:42:14 am »
i really don't have much of a comment here, because i am extremely uneducated in this area.  HOWEVER, there are WAY too many dogs being put down.  it is disgusting.  before i moved to hollywood, i spent a week in LA looking for a place for myself and cody....and a week later, and after visiting and talking to over 200 different places, i had only about 6 options.  many apartments will take rats, but most will not take something over 15 pounds, some over 25 pounds.  as of right now, it is a lose-lose situation for the dogs owners, and dogs.  we are stuck between a rock and a hard place.  what the answer is, i dont know...but SOMETHING has got to happen and fast.  this country is failing its animals in a terrible way.  i don't know that this will help or not help...but at least by taking some sort of action, it gets more people talking and trying to problem solve rather than everyone ignoring it like it doesn't exist.  i HAVE two dogs, and LIVED in LA, and don't hardly know about it....most everyone without dogs has NO idea about anything animal related.  at least if we acknowledge it, some sort of starter solution might be able to be figure out. 
NICKI

Offline smsmith

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Re: Well, they've gone and done it now...
« Reply #11 on: April 20, 2006, 02:12:56 am »
This may sound way out there, but I recently watched a documentary about dogs  (I think it was a National Geographic documentary).  They were explaining how different breeds came to be through the eons of humans cultivating the characteristic s  they valued.

Seems to me that ultimately we'll wind up with an "urban" breed that is sterile, doesn't shed, born house-broken and doesn't require walking.  This will eliminate a lot of the dogs at the pounds/rescues/shelters who are rejected because naive (stupid) people think Great Danes or Great Pyrenees are such GREAT dogs, but haven't a clue what it's like to feed, maintain and live with a BIG PAW dog. 

Until people are required to know something about a dog anybody anytime anywhere can have any dog they want.  Heck, you don't even have to have a clue about raising children to have as many as you want.  Even people who are registered to own a gun don't have to pass any kind of decision-making test.  If my neighbor likes having a pit bull -- unleashed and jumping out the door every time they open it -- all I can do is wait until it attacks me and then the government can take it away (and kill it).  And I've read that in my neighborhood of Houston we have the highest percentage of dog bites -- largely due to the low percentage of neutered dogs.

The powers that be could issue an extra tag when you've had your dog "fixed" and if you didn't have it, you could be fined.  Problem is, the same kinda people who don't neuter their dogs also dump their unwanted dogs outside of town.  Maybe if the police had a law, they could -- every now and then -- prevent another litter of unwanted pups.

I've ranted long enough.  Think I'll go meditate now.

Sarah