Dear (Alderman, Alderwoman):
As the AKC (American Kennel Club) Legislative Liaison for Rand Park
Dog Training Club (Des Plaines IL) I am opposed to the mandatory
spaying and neutering of dogs as proposed by Alderwoman Rugai and
Alderman Burke for the following reasons:
1. According to Chicago Animal Shelter Alliance, "Between 2003 and
2005 overall citywide euthanasia rates dropped 12% and shelter intake
went down to 11%. With an overall shelter killing rate per 1,000
humans at a historic low of 6.9%, Denver remains the only city
between the coasts with a lower kill rate (5.9%)."
In recent years, Chicago already has seen greatly reduced numbers of
cats and dogs euthanized in its shelters on a yearly basis without
mandatory spay/neuter. Source:
http://www.anticruelty.org/site/epage/42566_576.htm
2. Pure "no-kill" can never be achieved. A small percentage of
relinquished or abandoned pets will need to be euthanized for humane
reasons that would make them unsuitable as family pets; mandatory
spay/neuter will do little or nothing to reduce the numbers of pets
euthanized for these reasons. In fact, Nathan Winograd, executive
director of a national no-kill organization, No Kill Advocacy Center,
and author of the critically acclaimed book "Redemption", is on
record in his opposition for mandatory spay/neuter. Source:
http://nokilladvocacycenter.org/pdf/mandatorylaws.pdf
3. If a pet overpopulation problem exists in Chicago, why is a major
Chicago shelter, PAWS Chicago, importing truckloads of dogs and cats
from out-of-state to fill their shelter? Sources:
http://www.dawnwatch.com/archive/dw2001400illinoi/20051207153728.html
http://tinyurl.com/4f6tnb
and
http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cfm?
page=news&mode=entry&entry=5C3D2C07-19B9-B9D5-9DEEC938CC4CE282
http://tinyurl.com/5xbyof
4. Throughout the United States, rates of euthanasia for dogs and
cats per capita have been dropping steadily over the past 20 or so
years. This is due largely to the increase in voluntary pet
sterilization. However, communities which have passed Mandatory
Spay/Neuter laws have, on the contrary, seen their rates of
euthanasia remain steady, instead of declining; one example is San
Mateo County, CA.
Source: http://nationalpetalliance.com/sanmateo.htm
5. Mandatory spay/neuter laws will lower compliance rates for both
licensing and rabies vaccinations, contributing to a greatly
increased public health risk. Licensing in San Mateo County decreased
sharply after mandatory spay/neuter was enacted in 1991. (Same source
as above.)
6. A published study by Salman et al. (1998) found that "too many
pets" or other factors relating to the number of animals a person
owned were far behind a number of other reasons such as "human
housing issues" and "human lifestyle" as factors for pet
relinquishments. Therefore, by not focusing on the real causes,
mandatory spay/neuter will not achieve a decrease in pet
relinquishments that is desired. Source:
http://www.petpopulation.org/RELINQ207-223.pdf
7. The American Veterinary Medical Association is on record as
stating that any decision regarding pet sterilization should be made
based only on what is best for the pet. Source: "Determining the
optimal age for gonadectomy of dogs and cats" by Margaret V. Root
Kustritz, DVM PhD
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/pdfplus/10.2460/javma.231.11.1665
http://tinyurl.com/2betgn
8. Focusing on enforcement of leash laws would be less expensive and
more effective in promoting public safety than your proposed
ordinance.
Sincerely,
Margo Milde
Glenview, IL
