| CannonFarms |
| Posted 2/23/2008 1:37:52 PM |
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Active: 08-13-2006
Posts: 3050
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February 23, 2008
PALM BEACH, Fla. - Overwhelming populations in the animal shelters of one Florida county have prompted officials to make some major changes. Palm Beach County just enacted a mandatory spay or neuter ordinance for dogs and cats.
Its one of the first ordinances of its kind in Florida. But across the nation last year, 32 other counties or cities considered similar spay or pay policies.
The new rules are being met with resistance from some pet owners and breeders.
The kennels at the Tri County Humane Society in Boca Raton Florida are often filled to the max.
When we come in the morning, there are pregnant dogs tied to our fence, boxes of Puppies. boxes of kittens on our driveway, on our laws, said Jeanette Christos, Founder of the Tri County Humane Society in Boca Raton. Its very, very sad.
TCHC is a no-kill shelter, but having to turn away pets because theres no room often means theyll end up in the hands of the Palm Beach County animal services; an agency that routinely has no option but to euthanize animals. Official statistics show the agency is destroying more than 16,000 animals each year.
For instance, you will see a staff member taking the Dog down the hall, its wagging its tail thinking its going on a walk, well its going to the euthanasia room, and its going to be dead, said Christos.
The new rules require all Dog and cat owners in the county to sterilize their animals. If they choose not to, they will be charged, annually, for a $75 dollar permit and be required to sign an affidavit, a legal document, stating they will not breed their animals.
cont... |
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| CannonFarms |
| Posted 2/23/2008 2:09:05 PM |
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Active: 08-13-2006
Posts: 3050
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Owners like ******** dont agree with the county telling her she now must spay her dog.
It should be private, especially if I take care of my Dog properly, said Espina. If I dont do it well, I have to do something about it or they have to do something about it. Because maybe later on I change my mind and I want to have dogs or something. What are they gonna do about it?
The ordinance also places more restrictions on breeders. Many Dog breeders and their national tried to stop the change, which commissioners voted on Tuesday. Through a statement on its Web site, the American Kennel Club urged its members to write the commissioners and voice their opposition.
The AKC believes the answer to overpopulation is strict enforcement of leash laws and other nuisance laws, saying that would prevent the accidental breeding of unwanted animals.
The mandatory sterilization ordinance will be accompanied by several free spay and neuter clinics in Palm Beach County. And a "Citizens Animal Patrol" would be created to help educate the public on the benefits of sterilizing their pets.
I think its a great idea. I think theres too many animals in animal hospitals that dont have homes, said Lisa LeVerrier, cat owner in Palm Beach Co. And they needlessly get killed every year for no reason and the reason for it is that we have overpopulation due to not spaying and neutering early on.
If the changes save one animal from falling to euthanasia in Palm Beach County; for people like Jeanette Christos, thats a step in the right direction.
I think its progress, if we can save one litter of Puppies. one litter of kittens, said Christos.
In the last year, lawmakers in 4 states considered state-wide mandatory sterilization laws. None passed. But similar legislation is expected to go before those 4 states again soon.
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| CannonFarms |
| Posted 2/23/2008 2:09:39 PM |
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Active: 08-13-2006
Posts: 3050
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So, any one in favor of cats and dogs being extinct in 15 years? |
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| suebgone |
| Posted 2/23/2008 7:52:29 PM |
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Active: 01-10-2006
Posts: 3359
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ND - there is no way that is going to happen.
If they truly wanted to do something they should have made the fee $500 or have it based on how many bitches are on the ground at each unannounced inspection
who's going to care about a $75 license fee when they are selling Puppies for over $1,000 per puppy?
if done correctly, it will help the ethical breeders clean up some of the damage that has been done to their BOC, but even that will take eons.
it will go a long way toward ending the fighting dogs too. |
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| backyardbreeder |
| Posted 4/28/2008 3:28:41 AM |
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Active: 04-28-2008
Posts: 5
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Instead of making it manditory they should have strick leash laws. They should also offer free spay and neutering all the time everywhere. The people that have to euthanize these unwanted animals do kill for free, I bet that they would much rather spay and neuter for free than have to kill the offspring later.
So many people cant afford to do all the required care as well as having them altered but they are still capable of providing a loving environment for their pet. Given the opportunity to use the sevices for free I bet they would volunteer instead of being forced. |
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| kathystone |
| Posted 4/28/2008 5:53:26 AM |
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Active: 11-18-2007
Posts: 122
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SUE, YOU HIT IT RIGHT ON THE HEAD! GOOD JOB!
In 1975 the city of Los Angeles killed over 250,00 dogs and cats in the 6 city shelters. In 1977 they put in two low cost spay/neuter clinics. By 1988 the total number of animals killed went down to under 70,000. The breed clubs helped out by etablishing rescues for their breed, as ANY responsible club should do!This helped also. By 2003 the number was dropped down even more with the higher cost for an unspayed/neutered license going up as well as enforcement of the breeding license law.
I can not believe the number of people looking to make money off dogs! Since the "designer dog" craze has started anything is at risk of becoming a designer Dog and people are looking to make money off the backs of the poor dogs. So what happens to all those dogs when the fad comes crashing to the ground? Are they discarded like so much junk? They do it here in Mo at the Dog auctions. The dogs who are no longer the rage go for dirt cheap. Havanese are down to $5-$10 in some instances, and their under 5 yrs old! The French bulldogs are still high but a bred female went for $250 at the sale saturday. It's a shame. |
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| moggie |
| Posted 4/28/2008 6:39:01 AM |
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Active: 09-01-2005
Posts: 410
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 now i am starting to understand why you say the things you do. you are from missouri, the puppy mill capitol of the world. right?? i have heard about the Dog auctions and the corporations who are ready and waiting to truck 1500 Puppies down the east coast every week. why do you go to these auctions??? exactly what started this whole thing in missouri?? i cannot agree with mandatory speuter laws in west palm beach. have you ever been there?? there is nowhere for breeders to breed there period. the law states that 4 dogs is the limit for one household. there would be very very few actual byb's there. i dont get this?? |
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| beaglebrat |
| Posted 4/28/2008 9:34:43 AM |
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Active: 05-01-2006
Posts: 847
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I have mixed feelings about this. I do think, wish, hope that PET PEOPLE, would get their pets sterilized. That is why it is in my puppy health contract, I want my Puppies with out breeding rights to be sterilized by a year and I ask them to send me proof.
I do think that irresponsible pet owners allowing accidental breedings do make up a huge portion of the dogs being killed in shelters. I think another huge portion are from irresponsible owners that make no effort to train or rehome their Dog on their own, or that do not supervise them properly and allow them to roam or become lost.
I think it is irresponsible to have an unmicrochipped dog.
I am with people that think there should be more free or low cost spay/neuter centers. I think they should be payed for at a state or federal level and EVERYONE should have access to them. I think there should be a small $50-100 TAX INCENTIVE if you show you had your pet spay/neutered (maybe up to 2 a year).
I would be in favor of breeding licenses with a reasonable fee and stiff penalties for unplanned litters. BUT I would be very scared that it would encourage people to abandon or dump pregnant bitches that they did not want to get in trouble for.
Even though I think it would likely do some good to force pet people to spay/neuter dogs that they never intend to breed-- I can not support this law. People should have a right to breed their Dog if it is PLANNED.
I can see these types of laws becoming slippery slopes for other mandatory animal rights laws. Pretty soon we will have the government telling us what type of Dog we can have (BSL's) and what type of food they should be eating. |
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| moggie |
| Posted 4/28/2008 9:53:01 AM |
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Active: 09-01-2005
Posts: 410
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bb, you left me here to fend for myself yesterday. pretty scarry thing. i now feel like im being stalked online. how sick is that. have to add my 2 cents here. there is another option. breeders can have their Puppies spayed or neutered at 8 wks of age due to new techniques. why not have the Puppies spayed and neutered before offering them?? microchips?? i have yet to see anyone read a chip at my veterinary clinics. i did ask my regular vet to read a chip..they dont even have a reader??? i do know this...most of the time in the past...the microchips were used for the sole purpose of the breeder and seller...do you know this?? if not, i would be happy to explain it to you.... |
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| beaglebrat |
| Posted 4/28/2008 11:23:28 AM |
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Active: 05-01-2006
Posts: 847
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I didn't touch the computer yesterday. Just spent the day out with the family.
I do not believe in pediatric spay/neuter. The one time that I have had a family call and complain about a female Dog having urinary incontinence was one that didn't listen to me and had the puppy spayed at 16 weeks. Now she leaks little drops of urine all over their house, permanently.
Plus, young Puppies and extreme surgery don't set well with me. I see on these forums frequently people losing dogs to the anesthesia alone while being spay/neutered.
If they are responsible there should be very little opportunity for a puppy to bred or be bred by 12 months. I have only had one Boxer in 12 years come in heat before a year anyway. Those dogs develop late.
Micro-chips are lifesavers. I had two co-owned Puppies in different areas of the country returned to their owners by micro-chips. Big city shelters DO scan for micro-chips in pets. In fact it is required by law here in Michigan that shelters scan every pet that comes in.
Vet offices, no. There is no reason for a vet office to scan them. |
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| suebgone |
| Posted 4/28/2008 5:32:53 PM |
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Active: 01-10-2006
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| Quote backyardbreeder: Instead of making it manditory they should have strick leash laws. They should also offer free spay and neutering all the time everywhere. The people that have to euthanize these unwanted animals do kill... |
if people cannot afford to properly care for a pet, then they have no business getting it.
it is called responsibility, they should not be expecting free care for it.
thanks Kathy |
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| beaglebrat |
| Posted 4/28/2008 6:02:54 PM |
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Active: 05-01-2006
Posts: 847
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Free spay/neuter clinics would help the overall pet population and save the government money in the long run. People could choose to use their private vets still, but this could be an option for those who never can gather the money. Or for people taking in feral cats.
A lot of families live paycheck to paycheck and they are always planning on getting their Dog spay/neutered when they can afford it. It's never an emergency though, until your female gets bred. With males, if they are out of site (breeding), its out of mind, because the male Dog owner won't have to deal with the Puppies at all.
We spend all this money on other countries and fighting unnecessary wars, why not do something big and drastic for our own? Nationalize health care, free 24 hour daycare centers, free spay/neuter clinics. |
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| moggie |
| Posted 4/28/2008 7:01:33 PM |
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Active: 09-01-2005
Posts: 410
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what i meant was this. if you as a breeder would go ahead and spay or neuter the Puppies before offering them to new homes, you could pass the expense on to the new owner. this way it is a full guarantee that they will get done. there is a new anesthesia for young Puppies. it is safe. and it is a good thing. i have watched the procedure. very simple, very easy on the puppy. |
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| beaglebrat |
| Posted 4/28/2008 7:14:03 PM |
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Active: 05-01-2006
Posts: 847
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Eh.... I understand. My vets for the most part are old and they don't do it before 6 months. I just don't know enough about the one vet that does it, and they are literally and hour 45 minutes away. Which I would drive if I completely thought it should be done.
The biggest thing is, that it just doesn't set right with me.
Every single Boxer bitch that we have kept and spayed has porked out with in a month. Big time, and they also became rather lazy and less playful. This isn't rumor, or opinion, it is what I observed on my own dogs.
Complete hysterectomies and castrations DO effect hormones and I just don't think the risk of effecting growth and temperament are worth it.
I have a contract for that, and really I have had only one problem in all the years. Knock on wood.
That one problem (someone breeding a bitch that had limited registration) was disappointing, but it was also a learning experience to tweak my contract.
If I didn't trust the family to be reasonably responsible with the puppy, I wouldn't sell it to them. |
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| moggie |
| Posted 4/28/2008 7:26:52 PM |
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Active: 09-01-2005
Posts: 410
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i respect your opinion and will not agree or disagree.  |
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| beaglebrat |
| Posted 4/28/2008 7:37:33 PM |
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Active: 05-01-2006
Posts: 847
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Oh my Gosh, say it's not so! We can agree to disagree???? Just like rational adults??? Bless you.
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| PerfectPom |
| Posted 4/28/2008 7:38:51 PM |
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Active: 04-04-2007
Posts: 907
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| Quote moggie: what i meant was this. if you as a breeder would go ahead and spay or neuter the Puppies before offering them to new homes, you could pass the expense on to the new owner. this way it is a full... |
Pediatric speuters before the growth plates are closed can also alter the dogs appearance confirmation wise. I've also heard spaying a female too young can cause incontinence problems. I've seen it quoted that spaying always carries some risk in this area. Apparently a percentage of females do leak etc. |
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| moggie |
| Posted 4/28/2008 8:05:52 PM |
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Active: 09-01-2005
Posts: 410
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I freaked when i first learned of this and had the same worried concerns, however after seeing the procedure done on an 8 week old puppy...it seemed very simple. i did not ask any of the questions about leaking, growth, etc. so i was not aware of the issues. |
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| beaglebrat |
| Posted 4/28/2008 8:44:04 PM |
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Active: 05-01-2006
Posts: 847
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I would have to find the articles. I want to think I saved it somewhere in this computer, but the 'gist' is taking out all of those female organs relating to hormones deprives some females of the hormones necessary to mature their bladder, hence a bit more of a chance of the urinary leaking.
Leaking after a spay CAN happen at any age though, but based on my experience with that one puppy-- that is why I personally believe that it is more likely with pediatric spays. Based on both the information I have read and that experience. |
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| CannonFarms |
| Posted 4/29/2008 10:03:41 AM |
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Active: 08-13-2006
Posts: 3050
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The growth plate issues is a huge one when you are thinking about large breeds, which is mainly what you find in shelters. The latest thing is to leave one or both overies to keep the hormones but not have the risk of being bred, however than either disproved the cancer risk of not spaying or puts the Dog at risk for those cancers.
For a pet dane, its some what accepted to do them at 9 months because the bulk of the growing is done, but I have not done one before 2 on my personal dogs and will not. |
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