Urgent California Alert: Support the Pet Responsibility Act - Call Today!

Update 9/1/10: According to a report on lbreport.com, on August 31, the Assembly voted to defeat SB 250, the "Pet Responsibility Act," effectively killing the measure for the remainder of this legislative session. ALDF would like to thank everyone who made phone calls in support of this bill.

Your call can help stem the travesty of the 500,000+ companion animals that are euthanized every year in California.

SB 250 -- the Pet Responsibility Act -- is now ready for a final assembly vote and your Assemblymember needs to hear from you today!

After lying dormant for almost a year, SB 250 is now just hours away from receiving a final vote in the Assembly. Please call your Assemblymember today and urge their vote for this important legislation.

Each year, over $250 million dollars are spent sheltering and euthanizing dogs and cats in California. Approximately one million dogs and cats enter California’s shelters each year, and over half of them are euthanized simply because there are not enough homes.

SB 250, based on successful laws in Santa Cruz and New York City, provides a reasonable, fiscally-responsible step towards reducing pet overpopulation in California. The bill simply requires that dogs be sterilized unless their owners/guardians obtain a special license (if required under existing local ordinances), and that cats allowed to roam at-large also be spayed or neutered. The bill provides safeguards for animals whose health makes sterilization inadvisable; and its wholly-discretionary penalties would not be applicable to those who responsibly care for feral cat colonies.

Please call your assemblymember today and ask for them to vote in favor of SB 250!

Overview of SB 250 (From YesOnSB250.com)   

SB 250 does not outlaw unaltered animals. If a dog is licensed and the owner/guardian is following current animal laws, SB 250 has no effect on them. Similarly, if someone’s cat does not roam outdoors, it can remain unaltered.

SB 250 does not cost the state any money. Similar laws have reduced costs and increased revenues through increased licensing.

Similar laws have not resulted in more animals being surrendered by owners.

Similar laws have resulted in increased licensing of pets, and decreased shelter intake and euthanasia.

SB 250 does not allow animal control to seize animals.

SB 250 does not allow animal control to automatically spay or neuter animals. Only when an unlicensed, unaltered dog or roaming, unaltered cat is impounded, does animal control have the option to require a spay or neuter, but the responsibility falls on the owner.

SB 250 is NOT mandatory spay and neuter. Anyone can still have an unaltered animal.

Read the current status/history/text of SB 250 here.

Please call your assemblymember today and ask for them to vote in favor of SB 250! If you do not know your legislator, click here.

CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY