Alley Cat Allies Opposes Mandatory Spay/Neuter

I got an email from ACA urging opposition to mandatory spay/neuter laws, saying they are ineffective and costly. They state the lack of affordable S/N is the biggest blockage and as Winograd warned, gives animal control agencies too much discretionary power and turns a lot of pet owners into criminals.

Given what may be a 2-3 year lack of LAAS S/N certificates, and possible cut backs in nonprofits' S/N capacity, I think LA needs to repeal the mandatory spay/neuter law.

From Alley Cat Allies today:

ALLEY CAT ALLIES URGES OPPOSITION TO MANDATORY SPAY/NEUTER LAWS IN CHICAGO AND FLORIDA

Says laws are counterproductive, costly, and unenforceable

BETHESDA — Proposed laws to impose mandatory spay/neuter on pet owners will “do more harm than good,” and should be opposed, according to Alley Cat Allies, the national advocate for stray and feral cats.

“Mandatory spay/neuter laws are counterproductive. They completely ignore feral and stray cats, which represent the overwhelming majority of intact and breeding cats,” said Becky Robinson, president of Alley Cat Allies. “Research shows that 82 percent of all pet cats are neutered, while the same can be said for only three percent of feral and stray cats; but scientists estimate that there are equal numbers of stray and feral cats as pet cats in the U.S.”

The group urged its supporters in Chicago, Illinois and in the state of Florida to voice concerns to local lawmakers over two separate bills that would impose fines on pet owners who do not have their pets spayed or neutered.

“Mandatory spay/neuter laws do nothing to address the real issue—the severe lack of accessible, affordable spay and neuter services for pet owners, stray and feral cat caregivers, and animal pounds and shelters in the community,” said Robinson. “Instead, these laws divert public resources away from beneficial programs and into administering an unenforceable law.”

“Instead of wasting money on enforcement of an ineffective law, resources would be better directed to neutering the stray and feral cat population,” said Robinson. She noted that Alley Cat Allies has been tracking the issue across the country and mobilizing supporters to oppose any new mandatory/spay neuter laws.

For more information on why mandatory spay/neuter laws do not work—and why accessible and affordable spay/neuter is so important—visit www.alleycat.org/MandatorySpayNeuter.