Indeed, this will become a toothless law, just as licensing has. Look at it. Nobody gets in trouble for an unlicensed animal (unless, of course, you have a neighbor with a vendetta). Police are far too busy with crime control. Ergo, nobody even cares about licensing anymore. I really think this bill is just another version of licensing. The solution is not to create alternate options and hope that one that "works". The solution is to actually *enforce* existing laws, and, if deemed necessary, tweak them a bit.
I'm not sure if every veterinarian in CA does this (or if it's the law), but my vet notifies the county if your cat/dog is not licensed. The county sends you a license application form, and you either return it with a check or pay a hefty fine a few days later. If this isn't the law, they better make sure it is. Secondly, I believe they should have a "rebate" of sorts. If your animal is not altered, you pay the fees for an intact pet, but if you can provide proof of spay/neutering to your current veterinarian, you are given a "rebate". For example, I think the fee for an altered pet is $40. An unaltered pet is around $100. If you speuter that pet, you receive $60 back. The license for altered pets should be permanent (a one time fee) whereas the fee for intact pets needs yearly renewal. There should be appropriate exemptions, of course, for pets with health problems. And I don't know the regulations for kennel license, but THAT is what we should focus on. We should not punish the entire population for a couple unscrupulous puppy millers.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks