Kansas City Dog Advocates (KCDA) does not support mandatory spay/neuter laws or any other type of legislation that is punitive to otherwise law abiding pet owners. We respect that public safety is of great importance to city leaders, as it is to KCDA. But a blanket law that affects 100% of the population when only a few are potential problems is not the way to achieve a higher level of public safety. Scarce Animal Control resources are spent on otherwise non-problematic dogs when they could be addressing problem dog owners regardless of the reproductive status of the pet. The number of pets killed will also increase dramatically as many pet owners do not have the financial means to alter their pet. We’ve seen this in Kansas City, MO with their mandatory spay/neuter ordinance.
In light of the recent wave of mandatory spay/neuter laws (MSN) being discussed around the country, many new studies have come to light that indicate MSN has even worse ramifications than the problems it was trying to solve. Including lower licensing rates, higher euthanasia rates, increase in rabies incidents and general distrust between animal control agencies and the public.
The AVMA has recently release a study that shows numerous health problems linked to altering of pets. The AVMA does not support mandatory spay/neuter of pets. This is a potentially deadly operation (as are all surgeries for both pets and humans) that should be left up to the pet owner and their veterinarian.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has found that spay/neuter was associated with worsening a dogs behavior - the exact opposite of what we have been lead to believe in recent years. Although it seems that the majority of biting dogs are unaltered, there have been no scientific studies that actually prove causation - there is merely a correlation. The dog not being altered may just be another sign of an irresponsible owner (responsible owners may or may not alter their pets, irresponsible owners never do) not that be unaltered in itself caused the behavior.
Here is a nice synopsis of a study by the JAVMA that concludes that altered dogs have a higher incidence of hip dysplasia and ligament deficiencies.
Another synopsis of the increased risk of bone cancer in large breed dogs linked to early spay/neuter.
A rundown of the disastrous results of Mandatory Spay/Neuter across the country:
City of Los Angeles
- 2000 ”spay or pay” ordinance
- Decline in licensing compliance since passage of this ordinance
- Animal control budget after passage of the law rose 269%, from $6.7 million to $18 million.
- City hired additional animal control officers and bought new trucks and equipment just to enforce the new law
Santa Cruz County, CA
- 1995 mandatory spay/neuter ordinance
- change in shelter intakes and euthanasia rates are no better than the state average
- animal control costs doubled after passage
- animal control costs "spiraling" out of control, according to a Santa Cruz Sentinel investigation
- Capitola canceled animal services contract with county due to rising costs
- Watsonville threatening to pull out due to rising costs
- licensing compliance dropped significantly
San Mateo California
- 1991 mandatory spay/neuter ordinance
- dog deaths in the areas governed by the ordinance, increased 126% and cats 86%, but decreased in parts of the county not governed by the ordinance
- dog licenses declined by 35%.
Montgomery County, MD
- mandatory spay/neuter law was passed but later repealed as a failure
- 50% decline in licensing compliance while ordinance in effect
- Euthanasia rates declined more slowly than before the ordinance passed
Fort Worth TX
- ended its mandatory spay/neuter program
- licensing compliance fell off after passage of the ordinance
- There was a reduction in rabies vaccinations which lead to an increase in rabies in the city
Camden County, New Jersey
- mandatory spay/neuter ordinance in 1996
- PAWS NJ comments 5 years later, ?An analysis of these statistics shows the Humane Society of Southern NJ which operates the Camden County Animal Shelter, to be consistently one of the leading, if not the leading killers of animals in the state of New Jersey.?
King County, Washington
- mandatory spay/neuter ordinance in 1992
- License compliance decreases since passage of the ordinance.
- Animal control expenses increased 56.8% and revenues only 43.2%.
- In 1990 animal controls were $1,662,776. By 1997 animal control costs were $3,087,350.
- Euthanasia rates fell at a slower rate after passage of the ordinance.
Aurora CO
- mandatory spay/neuter ordinance
- licensing compliance has dropped dramatically.
Pinellas County Florida
- breeder licensing since 1992
- animal control budget increased 75% with revenue increasing only 13%.
- shelter intake and euthanasia rates increased after the law took effect
KCDA does support VOLUNTARY spay/neutering efforts. Spay/neuter is an important aspect of responsible pet ownership and a key ingreadiant in take the KC Metro to No-Kill status by 2012. There are many organizations across the KC Metro that would be happy to assist your city in developing a low-cost spay/neuter program. Please contact KCDA if you would like to pursue this endeavor and we will help point you in the right direction.
References to articles and studies mentioned in this article:
http://btoellner.type...
http://www.ab1634.com...
http://www.cooldoghal...
http://www.msnbc.msn....
http://www.dolittler....
http://avmajournals.a...
http://lassiegethelp....
http://cebp.aacrjourn...
http://btoellner.type...
http://www.nokilladvo...
http://nathanwinograd...