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Commission grapples with writing mandatory spay-neuter proposal
Questions arise over effectiveness of mandatory spay-neuter
| Wednesday, Mar 19 2008 10:31 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Mar 20 2008 7:18 AM
Animal lovers packed Wednesday’s meeting of the Kern County Animal Control Commission.
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Pet populations are once again on the rise, forcing Kern County Animal Control to step up the euthanasia of animals. This little pup was in the kennel and was not scheduled to be euthanized at the time the photo was taken.
Some passionately want a mandatory spay-neuter law.
Others passionately oppose it.
And both sides got their say.
But commissioners have little choice about which side to support.
"We as a commission are being directed by the (Kern County) Board of Supervisors to develop a policy for mandatory spay and bring it back by June 10," said commission chairman Michael Yraceburn.
On Wednesday, the commission took up discussion of what the ordinance would look like.
Supervisors referred the idea to the commission following a series of stories by The Californian that highlighted the 18,669 animals euthanized by Kern County Animal Control in 2007.
Members of the public held a long debate over the issue of the mandatory law. Opponents said it won't work and the county should pursue other options to stop the killing of healthy, adoptable animals.
"I'm not against spay-neuter," said Barbara Allen of Tehachapi. "(But) mandatory isn't going to work. Prohibition didn't work."
Supporters questioned whether killing can be stopped without mandatory spay-neuter.
"I really hope that we can get to no-kill," said Bakersfield resident John Thrasher. "But the reality is in our community that we are overwhelmed by population."
Yraceburn declared the split a 50-50 division between supporters and opponents of mandatory spay and neuter at the meeting.
After listening, the commission took up the issue. It created a two-member sub-committee to build the mandatory spay-neuter ordinance and directed staff to start investigating the cost and structures needed to make the program happen.
"We've been told to write an ordinance," said new commissioner Susan Madigan. "We have to figure out the details of each category."
Writing the ordinance, Yraceburn said, doesn't mean members have to support the concept.
"We can craft an ordinance. We can vote on it. It can go to the Board of Supervisors with us not recommending it, if that's the way it happens," Yraceburn said.
Resource Management Agency Director David Price suggested that perhaps now is the time to push the issue forward to the board and let it make the final decision.
Yraceburn also took the opportunity to direct county staff to investigate rules that would regulate the advertising of animals for sale in The Californian.
He called the newspaper hypocritical for publishing photos and videos of animals being killed at the same time it took advertising revenue for "literally dozens and dozens of ads for animals" whose sales contribute to animal overpopulation. His suggestion drew applause from the audience.
Commissioner Laurie Weir praised the newspaper for revealing the facts of euthanization, but agreed with Yraceburn that the newspaper should become part of the solution.
On the Web
Debate the proposed spay-neuter law at our Quirks of Kern County blog.