Petition to Oppose the California Senate Bill 250

I am opposed to California Senate Bill 250. This bill would add another tax to pet owners and result in the killing of more dogs and cats.

Furthermore, this bill would MANDATE sterilization for dogs and cats that do not receive an unaltered license. Under this bill, unaltered licenses can be denied to pet owners based on many factors including a neighbor’s complaints, an animal being cited for off leash or running loose, or the arbitrary decision of an animal control officer.

Experience has shown that local jurisdictions cannot recoup the costs to administer and enforce mandated pet sterilization laws from penalties and fees alone. To pay for the new bureaucracy, funds are taken from other city and county services, including law enforcement and public safety.

Analysis of the bill by the California Department of Finance showed animal control costs are likely to immediately increase as more pets are surrendered to shelters, euthanasia rates rise, and licensing drops off. In Los Angeles, shelters costs rose by 269% following enactment of a similar measure.

SB 250 is a bad idea. It will result in a reduction of dog licenses, cost the taxpayers millions in increased shelter and enforcement costs and result in more dogs being euthanized.