The bill's exceptions for show and performance dogs make no sense. If I as a breeder have an exceptional dog that finishes its CH quickly, then completes multiple performance titles in multiple venues (yes, I own a dog like this) when the time came for me to breed him, he would not fit under the exceptions, because he is no longer a "show dog" and he is no longer in the process of obtaining performance titles. How silly is that? So I would have to apply for some breeding permit with a fee that could be whatever the state of Florida wants it to be? Or I guess I could claim any of my dogs are "show dogs" so long as I entered them in one recognized competition. It just isn't well defined at all.
I do spay my girls if I decided I do not want to breed them. I do it because I believe it is healthier for them. I have not neutered any of my boys since my first male dog. It is not healthier for them, and I do not have behavioral issues that necessitate it. We have not had accidents, we have not had escapees, we have not had unwanted litters of puppies. These are MY dogs and I want to make my own decisions concerning their medical care.
The people that this legislation intends to target (which I assume are people who let their intact animals roam and breed randomly then turn their litters into animal control) are NOT people that are going to give a fart if their habits are illegal. If they have unwanted puppies they will stop taking them to shelters for fear of a fine and they will dump them on the side of the road. They will leave their unaltered adults at the shelter in lieu of reclaiming them and paying a fine. That is not an improvement-- it is a step backwards.
Who is going to police this? Veterinarians are not going to want to alienate their clients and turn into officers of the state. It isn't the job they signed up for when they spent their time, energy and money studying medicine. If enacted, it will be just one more ignored law that only affects people who are responsible enough already to want to comply, ie people who are not letting their animals roam to begin with.
A more positive approach is to provide for substantially low cost spay and neuter on a voluntary basis. The price of these surgeries is getting ridiculous, and the requirements from most vets that you vaccinate for everything including the kitchen sink before they perform any surgery is even more so-- and ups the costs substantially. The county neighboring ours has had a greatly increased rate of spay/neuter since their humane society started offering low cost surgeries. It helps those people with low incomes who want to be responsible actually be responsible. |