Pet Overpopulation

In the past 19 years, our city animal shelters have destroyed 1 million cats and dogs (Oct. 15). The proposed spay and neuter ordinance by itself will not end the crisis of pet overpopulation but it will act as a vital component, the legal authority, to an overall strategy that will meet that challenge. Some may object to the severity of the ordinance [an annual $500 licensing fee for owners who fail to spay or neuter their dogs]. But is there not cause for severity? To those who oppose this ordinance, I would ask that they visit one of L.A.'s six animal shelters.

A Los Angeles city councilman has introduced a motion that could prohibit the sale and purchase of pets bred in puppy and kitten mills. Councilman Paul Koretz, who represents an area that includes West L.A., Hollywood and Encino, said he introduced the motion Friday to ease the city's pet overpopulation problem. Some pet stores purchase animals from puppy and kitten mills or large-scale breeding operations with unsanitary and overcrowded conditions and inbreeding. "By being customers, we perpetuate the problem," Koretz said.

The city Department of Animal Services will hold a public hearing tonight to discuss the proposed pet overpopulation ordinance, which would make it illegal in Los Angeles to own an unsterilized animal without permits. Under the ordinance, owners of unsterilized cats or dogs would be required to pay $100 a year for a permit. Breeders would pay an additional $200 a year for a breeder's license.

While the new proposals concerning dog and cat overpopulation (March 6) are a vital public health and safety issue, the Los Angeles City Council also has the opportunity of ending the tragic waste of life at our city animal shelters. Every year 60,000 cats and dogs are born in our city without a chance to live. Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas is to be commended for his concern and compassion for both humans and animals. BILL DYER Venice

After more than two hours of testimony from animal activists and pleas by a group of fifth-graders, a Los Angeles City Council committee on Monday pushed ahead a controversial proposal to hike fees aimed at reducing the number of unaltered and stray dogs and cats. If adopted by the full City Council, the rules could give Los Angeles what is believed to be the toughest spay/neuter ordinance of any major city in America.

Hundreds of animal activists are expected to turn out Tuesday for a hearing on one of the most contentious issues before Los Angeles officials: pet overpopulation. The hearing before the Animal Regulation Commission, to be held in the large Community Center at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar, will be the first since a rowdy, overflow crowd forced abrupt cancellation of a similar meeting in August.

Beginning Jan. 1, a new state law will require that cats and dogs being adopted from the Ventura County Department of Animal Regulation, the Humane Society or rescue groups be spayed or neutered before they are released to their new owners. Gov. Pete Wilson and most state legislators recognize that there is a crisis of pet overpopulation in the United States. A statistic that should be more widely known is that one female and her offspring can produce as many as 67,000 dogs in six years.

The pet overpopulation problem is a terrible one, not only a humane problem that sees the killing of healthy young animals but a taxpayer problem because of the cost involved. (The proposed law) makes sense. It would not apply to the professional breeder, who already has a breeder's license. We support the breeder who's genetically responsible and breeds infrequently.

A controversial proposed public service campaign that used billboards showing trash cans filled with dead cats and dogs has been toned down and on Wednesday won the unanimous support of the Los Angeles City Council. Fifty billboards, to be donated to the city by Vista Metropolitan Outdoor Media with printing from Independence Outdoor, show a picture of a cat and dog with the words: "No one wants to be abandoned, live on the streets or die young. Not even a dog."

Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas suggested Tuesday that the city establish a mandatory policy of spaying and neutering dogs and cats to reduce the public health and safety crisis from stray, injured and vicious dogs roaming the streets. In his proposal, Ridley-Thomas asked that the city's Department of Animal Regulation report on the feasibility of implementing a mandatory policy and how similar laws in other cities are faring.

Animal-control and leash laws have existed in the United States for nearly as long as farmers' dogs have ravaged the neighbors' chickens and rabies outbreaks have threatened human populations. But never before has the national debate over pet control reached such a fevered, emotional peak as at present, with animal advocates pushing for legislation to reduce the number of unwanted animals euthanized in the nation's shelters.

After more than two hours of testimony from animal activists and pleas by a group of fifth-graders, a Los Angeles City Council committee Monday pushed ahead controversial proposals aimed at reducing the number of unaltered and stray dogs and cats. If adopted by the full City Council, the new rules and higher fees would give Los Angeles what is believed to be the toughest ordinance on spaying and neutering of any major city in America.

After more than two hours of testimony from animal activists and pleas by a group of fifth-graders, a Los Angeles City Council committee on Monday pushed ahead a controversial proposal to hike fees aimed at reducing the number of unaltered and stray dogs and cats. If adopted by the full City Council, the rules could give Los Angeles what is believed to be the toughest spay/neuter ordinance of any major city in America.

In the Sept. 26 issue (Letters), reader Jon Schultz of Torrance asks, "If I am willing and able to provide a security deposit that is as large as any damage my animals could possibly cause, then why should the landlord be allowed to discriminate?" The answer, surely, is that most of Jon's neighbors prefer not to walk through yards of doggy excrement on a daily basis, don't want their small children bitten, are unhappy with dogs barking 24 hours a day and definitely favor not having their sleep disturbed by the neighbor's cat giving voice to his romantic needs on the backyard fence at two in the morning.

A highly polarized crowd of about 200 animal lovers attended a meeting Tuesday night of the Los Angeles Animal Regulation Commission, debating a controversial proposal to curtail animal breeding. Addressing the panel, speakers from the two factions could agree on only one thing: The city is overrun with homeless and unwanted animals. The issue has pitted animal rights and rescue groups against breeders and owners of purebred pets. While some animal-issue groups, such as the American Humane Assn.

Hundreds of animal activists are expected to turn out Tuesday for a hearing on one of the most contentious issues before Los Angeles officials: pet overpopulation. The hearing before the Animal Regulation Commission, to be held in the large Community Center at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar, will be the first since a rowdy, overflow crowd forced abrupt cancellation of a similar meeting in August.

In the Sept. 26 issue (Letters), reader Jon Schultz of Torrance asks, "If I am willing and able to provide a security deposit that is as large as any damage my animals could possibly cause, then why should the landlord be allowed to discriminate?" The answer, surely, is that most of Jon's neighbors prefer not to walk through yards of doggy excrement on a daily basis, don't want their small children bitten, are unhappy with dogs barking 24 hours a day and definitely favor not having their sleep disturbed by the neighbor's cat giving voice to his romantic needs on the backyard fence at two in the morning.

The city Department of Animal Services will hold a public hearing tonight to discuss the proposed pet overpopulation ordinance, which would make it illegal in Los Angeles to own an unsterilized animal without permits. Under the ordinance, owners of unsterilized cats or dogs would be required to pay $100 a year for a permit. Breeders would pay an additional $200 a year for a breeder's license.

Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas suggested Tuesday that the city establish a mandatory policy of spaying and neutering dogs and cats to reduce the public health and safety crisis from stray, injured and vicious dogs roaming the streets. In his proposal, Ridley-Thomas asked that the city's Department of Animal Regulation report on the feasibility of implementing a mandatory policy and how similar laws in other cities are faring.