CVMA attacks vicious dog legislation

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — The California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) is fighting legislation that would allow municipalities to create local laws targeting specific breeds of dogs.

At presstime, state Senate Bill 861 was scheduled for hearing with CVMA officials planning to testify against it. Sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Jackie Speier, the measure seeks to amend the Food and Agriculture Code to "authorize cities and counties to pass breed-specific legislation to address public safety and welfare concerns in their communities provided that no program shall institute a ban specific as to breed."

Plainly speaking, the language stops short of sweeping breed bans, but it would permit local requirements for spaying and neutering Pit Bulls, for example. The contention: Cities and counties should not be allowed to create legislation that conflicts with state laws, CVMA Executive Director Valerie Fenstermaker says.

"We believe in spay-neuter laws but not ones that are breed specific," she says. "Local ordinances should not go outside of state laws. We're moving pretty quickly to address this one."