Los Angeles - Mandatory Spay/Neuter Motion (CF #07-1212) – Oppose

The following letter was, in the interest of time, emailed to the 15 LA Council Members by our Secretary, Sara Wallick. Kudos to her and Lyle. One of the Council members did respond advising that he will read it before the sessions.Hope the others do to.



January 29, 2008


Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Subject: Mandatory Spay/Neuter Motion (CF #07-1212) – Oppose

Dear Councilmember:

The United Schutzhund Clubs of America (USA) opposes CF #07-1212, which would mandate spay/ neuter of nearly all dogs and cats in the City of Los Angeles. This bill is based on a fundamentally flawed concept that has never worked anywhere.

The United Schutzhund Clubs of America was founded in 1975 and has over 4,500 members nationally, with 33 clubs in California. Our membership is comprised of sport dog enthusiasts, trainers, breeders, and families. We are dedicated to breeding, raising, and training working- and show-quality German Shepherd Dogs; and we offer working titles such as Schutzhund (tracking/obedience/protection), RH (search dog suitability), and HGH (herding). All of these titles demonstrate the working ability of the dogs, and are those used by the German Shepherd Dog breed club in Germany. These dogs are used as police, military, explosive detection, narcotics detection, fire accelerant detection, border patrol, search and rescue, guide, and service dogs assisting the physically challenged members of our society. They are also used for the sport of Schutzhund and as treasured family companions.

The intent of CF #07-1212 is to reduce the number of dogs and cats in shelters. Unfortunately, it will not achieve that purpose, will be unenforceable, and will penalize responsible dog owners and breeders. Mandatory spay/neuter laws have proven ineffective in reducing shelter intakes or euthanasia rates in other parts of the country. There is no example of a mandatory spay/neuter law that has reduced shelter intake or euthanasia rates, though proponents try to spin the numbers and claim otherwise. CF #07-1212 will not save money; it will add bureaucracy, cost taxpayers more money, and merely shift the suppliers to underground operations and/or other sources.

San Mateo County, CA had the nation's first mandatory spay/neuter law. It was admitted to be a "disappointment" by its biggest backer, the Peninsula Humane Society. The PHS learned from experience that mandatory spay/neuter laws are ineffective, so they do not support a law that would impose it statewide in California.



The actual results of the Santa Cruz County, CA mandatory spay/neuter program are far different than those touted by the proponents of mandatory spay/neuter. The official statistics sent by Santa Cruz County to the California Department of Health Services do not match the claimed 60%+ decrease in shelter impounds between 1995 and 2003. There was only a modest 8% decrease in impounds for dogs, while impounds statewide dropped 17%. Santa Cruz shelter expenses nearly doubled since mandatory spay/neuter law took effect, increasing 93% while the state average for shelter expenses decreased 10%.

United Schutzhund Clubs of America – 2 – January 29, 2008


Over the same period, without mandatory spay/neuter laws, El Dorado, Mendocino, Monterey, Nevada, Placer, and Ventura counties all showed substantially greater reductions in the number of dogs euthanized
than did Santa Cruz, led by Nevada County with an 89% reduction. Passage of CF #07-1212 would eliminate the voluntary programs that have been so successful in many local jurisdictions.

Police canines are vital tools for law enforcement, and many police departments are expanding their units.
The demand for explosive detection dogs skyrocketed after 9/11 and cannot currently be met. One police K9 handler stated that if she was given 1,000 suitable dogs, she could place them all immediately. These dogs are critically needed to fight terrorism in this country and elsewhere. Working dog breeders produce the dogs used for the various types of search and rescue activities, and a decrease in the availability of these dogs will bring with it an attendant reduction in the number of successful searches. Passage of legislation such as CF #07-1212 would decimate the availability of these types of dogs that contribute so much to us.

It is impossible to measure the contributions of a search and rescue dog that finds a lost child, a police service dog that keeps its handler from being injured or killed, a narcotics detection dog that intercepts a shipment of drugs, a military dog that guards the bases in California, the explosives detection dog working against terrorism, or a service dog that helps a physically-challenged person lead an independent life. These remarkable canines make an enormous contribution to their owners, handlers, and society.

The exemptions offered in CF #07-1212 are vague and will not protect these types of dogs or many of the other types of dogs that contribute so much to us. AB 1634 was strongly opposed by well over 25,000 law enforcement officers, the assistance dog organizations, stock dog organizations, veterinarians, working dog organizations, and breed organizations.

Rather than impose a strategy such as mandatory spay/neuter that has failed everywhere it has been attempted, the City of Los Angeles should leverage the successes achieved elsewhere. Charlottesville, Virginia has used the No Kill Equation as advanced by the No Kill Advocacy Center and is saving 92% of the dogs and cats admitted to its open admissions shelter, making it a leader in a nation that routinely kills 50% of dogs and cats admitted. Please visit the Save our Dogs website, which has a wealth of information on the health consequences of early spay/neuter, the opposition to AB 1634 by the California Veterinary Medical Association, the failures of this type of legislation in other locations, and a partial list of the dog organizations which also oppose this type of legislation.

The United Schutzhund Clubs of America strongly objects to CF #07-1212, as it will not achieve its intended purpose and will transgress the rights of law-abiding citizens. As has been clearly demonstrated with other mandatory spay/neuter laws, CF #07-1212 is impractical and would be ineffective in reducing the number of dogs and cats in shelters.

We respectfully ask that CF #07-1212 be either withdrawn or defeated. It cannot be fixed by amendments.

Very truly yours,

Lyle Roetemeyer
President