The Southwest Voice

*Message to Our Veterinarians*

Are you aware that the California Veterinary Medical Association
has chosen to proactively support and promote bill AB1634, the so-called
"California Healthy Pets Act," an act aimed at eliminating pet ownership?

This bill requires /mandatory/ sterilization of ALL cats and dogs
by four months of age and imposes substantial penalties for
noncompliance. Though purporting to allow certain exemptions, these are
not guaranteed and even if available are made meaningless by the
imposition of impossible requirements.

This bill attempts to end all purebred dog and cat breeding in
California.


Less than 4% of dogs in California enter the shelter system. Less
than 1.5% are euthanized. Euthanasia in shelters is down by 86 percent
since the 70s though work still needs to be done. This bill, however,
does not and will not do that work. It does NOT address the real issue
of adult animals in shelters abandoned because of behavioral issues or
the impact of the feral cat problem on shelter numbers.

This bill affects your clients' privacy and property interests and
interferes with the right of a veterinarian to make medical decisions in
consultation with his or her clients. The end result of this bill will
be the decimation of your practice.

*I ask you to immediately take the following steps to protect yourself
and your clients:*

1. Contact CVMA and demand they publicly retract their support of
this bill.

2. On your letterhead, contact the Committee on Appropriations of
the State assembly at FAX # (916) 319-2113 expressing your opposition
to this bill and CVMA's support of it.

3. Also fax this letter to your local assembly representatives.
See *www.assembly. ca.gov* for names and contact information.

4. Urge all your clients to do the same.

These steps must be done immediately to be effective.

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Summary of Progress regarding Dogs in California Shelters
Based on 1995 -2005 Official California Statistics

Official California Statistics show for 1995-2005 show:

1. 40.4% in the number of dogs processed in shelters

2. An increase in the dogs reclaimed ( 22.2%) and adopted (30.3%)

3. There has been a 59.1% reduction in dogs euthanized.

4. Loose dogs captured have been reduced by 36%.

5. Owner surrenders have been reduced by 55.6%

These reductions are even more impressive when one considers the rapid
population growth of California during this same time since the number
of pets are directly related to population - the AVMA 2002 survey shows
that 67.7% of the population are pet owners!


The counties which have passed mandatory spay/neuter laws are the only
ones bucking this trend in the reduction of number of animals in
shelters. Their shelter populations have increased perhaps because they
are no longer educating people but instead are relying on draconian
measures which simply drive people underground. These same counties
have suffered reductions in the number of dogs licensed and vaccinated
for rabies thus increasing public health danger! It is proven that a
mandatory sterilization law does not reduce shelter populations! ! See
www.saveourdogs. net for more information on jurisdictions which have
abandoned mandatory sterilization laws.

Eddy Aldridge