Los Angeles ends spay/neuter voucher program

The Los Angeles city council voted almost unanimously to mandate spaying and neutering in Los Angeles. It became law last October (2008) and was passed with the assurance that all residents of the city would be able to comply because the city made free and low cost spay/neuter vouchers available to low income, disabled and senior citizens.

The law was passed with no extra funding for spay/neuter, and no funding for enforcement. The city controller, Laura Chick found after through investigation that the law should never have been passed, it was essentially unenforceable and made a mockery of "law."

Just this week, the city quietly ended the voucher program stating budget concerns left them unable to provide the promised vouchers for the rest of the year and eluded to the fact that they will not be available next year.

This leaves many low income, disabled and senior residents of the city unable to abide by the law. The surgery to alter a pet can be as high as $700. With no outside help, many of these people leave themselves open to fines up to $500, being charged with a misdemeanor and ultimately animal control can take their beloved pets away.

The L.A. city council must now undo it's wrong and repeal the mandatory spay/neuter law. It is unacceptable to mandate action which many residents simply are unable to comply with due to financial situations. Owning a pet should not be only for the elite.

I have contacted the city council and asked them to address this issue. I believe the mandatory spay and neuter law should be repealed. I encourage all residents of Los Angeles to contact their city council person and demand that the law be repealed.

In these challenging economic times, it is inhumane and unaceptable that the second largest city in the country thinks it's appropriate to mandate the residents of the city spend a large fee on complying with an uneforcable law.

UPDATE 3-14-09 Thanks to the Daily News for covering this story

And to the Associated Press for running with it. The world now knows that passing the law was a mistake.

This news has made it to outlets all over the country. It is significant National news because it shows the other cities considering MSN that it does not work. Los Angeles needs to act fast to save face and repeal this law.