[Baby Blessing]

I am not sure which forum to post this but it was in our local newspaper today, was wanting to see what others here at YT's comments or opinions are. Sorry if I should have posted it someplace else, just didn't know where. Patti

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All dogs in Los Angeles County unincorporated areas would need to be microchipped and spayed or neutered under a new ordinance proposed by the county's Animal Care and Control Department.

The proposal, designed to reduce the number of dogs euthanized every year, will be discussed Tuesday at a public hearing at the Board of Supervisors meeting.

More than 40,000 dogs were impounded by the department in the last fiscal year, department Director Marcia Mayeda told supervisors in a letter explaining the ordinance. Of those, nearly 19,000 were euthanized, and of the stray dogs taken in by shelters, only 6,000 were returned to their owners.

Mayeda acknowledged the "admirable goal" of instituting a "no-kill" policy in county shelters, but, she said, "In order to reach that goal we must first greatly reduce the numbers of dogs flooding the shelter system. This ordinance will help us reach that goal by reducing the number of dogs born or running loose in Los Angeles County."

The ordinance also calls for every dog to have a microchip surgically implanted - the microchips, each about the size of a grain of rice, contain details about the animal that allow for positive identification.

"Hundreds of thousands of lost pets have been reunited with their distraught families because the pets were microchipped," Mayeda said. "Microchips will improve the department's returned-to-owner rate and lessen euthanasia in county shelters."

Scanning the microchips also will allow the department to quickly determine if a female dog has been spayed and is in compliance with the new mandatory spay ordinance; it will also prevent owners from substituting one dog for another to avoid complying with the ordinance, Mayeda said.

Certain dog owners will be allowed to apply for an unaltered dog license, including law enforcement dgs, service dogs and competition dogs, such as purebred dogs used for breeding, dog shows or sporting competitions. The need to exempt show dogs from the ordinance was pointed out by several owners at the February public hearing.

Dogs would also be exempted from the spay/neuter policy if a veterinarian determines the surgery would be a health risk.

An unaltered dog license is proposed to cost $60, and a license for an altered dog would cost $20. Five dollars from each license fee would fund a low-cost spay/neuter program and vouchers for low-income residents to use to pay private veterinarians.

County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich pushed for such an ordinance after a rash of dog attacks last year in the Antelope Valley portion of his 5th District. Originally, Antonovich called for a mandatory spay/neuter policy for pit bulls and Rottweilers, but the ordinance later was expanded to all types of dogs.

The proposed ordinance is no longer solely a move to prevent vicious dog attacks; it includes a concerted effort to cut down on euthanasia and increase reunions between pet owners and lost dogs.

Some "people think we've lost the point, and gone from (focusing on) dog attacks to overpopulation, but that's not true," Antonovich spokesman Tony Bell said. "We've actually strengthened our intent by adding all dog breeds and making it more comprehensive. It's a proactive ordinance that will cut down on overpopulation, … reduce the number of dog attacks and stray dogs running around on the streets and make the department more effective and efficient."

Though the ordinance would only apply in county unincorporated regions, it "would be an excellent model for cities to pattern their own ordinances on," Antonovich aide Millie Jones said.

The board meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 West Temple St., Los Angeles.
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