L.A. County proposes mandatory sterilization

LOS ANGELES — A plan designed to stave off Pit Bull and Rottweiler attacks around Los Angeles has expanded to mandate the sterilization of almost all dogs in unincorporated areas of the nation's largest county.

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The Los Angeles County proposal no longer includes breed specifics and instead seeks to require the spaying and neutering of all dogs outside of municipalities. In addition to stemming attacks, proponents view the initiative as a means to curb overpopulation. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors was scheduled to vote on the proposal April 18 following a public hearing at presstime.

The California Veterinary Medical Association supports the sterilization of pets but has not taken a position on the measure, which calls for possibly the most expansive spay/neuter mandate in the country. Language in the proposed ordinance also amends Title 10 of the Los Angeles County Code to require all dogs older than four months to be implanted with identification microchips, and it increases the fees for dog licenses.

First-time violators will be fined no more than $250 and granted 30 days to become compliant. Second violations will be deemed misdemeanors punishable up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Each subsequent violation within one year will be considered additional misdemeanors, the proposed ordinance states.

AKC opposition

While that might seem stringent, the ordinance's language features several loopholes. Breeders, competition dogs, law-enforcement animals and service dogs are exempt. Yet the American Kennel Club (AKC), viewing the mandate as a slippery slope toward increased breeding restrictions, contests its passage in favor of amplified enforcement and fines related to dangerous dog laws. On its Web site, AKC invites "concerned dog owners" to contact the board's five voting members in opposition. Board offices did not return DVM Newsmagazine phone calls seeking comment by presstime.

When it comes to the opposition, Marcia Mayeda says, "You'll never make everyone happy." As director of the Los Angeles County Animal Care & Control and co-author of the ordinance, she's eager to see an unwanted dog population decline brought on by mandatory sterilization. Last year, Los Angeles County Animal Care & Control took in 90,000 animals. More than 6,500 were Pit Bulls. From 2004 to 2005, the nation's largest animal-control agency euthanized 12,975 unwanted dogs and performed 5,829 owner-requested euthanasias.

Pit Bulls and Rottweilers are the most likely to be euthanized and least likely to be adopted in the shelter system, Mayeda says.

"Between the two breeds, they make up about 40 percent of our caging space, yet they're adoption rate is just 8.1 percent," she says. "Their impact on the shelter is tremendous. You have to house them one dog per run because they'll fight. They're dog aggressive."

Long-term results from the spay/neuter mandate likely will include lower euthanasia numbers, she adds.

"If there were a disease that was killing this many animals, everyone would be desperately trying to find a cure to save them," Mayeda says. "Euthanasia is a silent killer that is a disease of society. This ordinance is a reasonable approach to try to address that disease and reduce the number of deaths out there."