Recently in pet laws Category

Manhattan Beach has put the word out for dog owners in the city who would like to serve on a committee addressing dog issues.

The Community Dog Advisory Committee meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays -- the next meeting is Oct. 26. From the press release:

The city has worked for the past several years to increase the quality of life for dogs and their owners, specifically addressing the establishment of more places for dogs to walk, run and play.

"The Community Dog Advisory Committee activities are another way the Parks and Recreation Department strengthens community image and sense of place and helps facilitate community problem solving," said Idris Jassim Al-Oboudi, recreation services manager for the city. "We encourage pet owners to participate on this committee as we look for ways to provide safe, secure and fun environments for dogs and their owners, while respecting the rights of non-dog owners."

The committee positions are voluntary. If you're a Manhattan Beach resident and dog owner who is interested in serving, contact Al-Oboudi at 310-802-5404 or ialoboudi@citymb.info;  or Marty Friedman of FIDO at 310-545-5854, fidonow@att.net.

The meetings are held in the Joslyn Center at 1601 Valley Drive, Manhattan Beach.

If you live in the city of Los Angeles and have a noisy dog -- or sometimes walk your dog off- leash in areas not sanctioned (fenced-in dog parks) for that -- beware.

Check out this story on how the city plans to rake in another $2 million by getting tough on violators.

Coming soon: $100 citations.  

Desperate to find money for its growing budget deficit, the city of Los Angeles said today it may go after dog owners who have failed to license their pets -- and using a novel technique.

City Council President Eric Garcetti suggested identifying those dog owners by using a database that the Department of Water and Power created for the benefit of its meter readers.

The database lists households that are believed to have dogs so that meter readers can take the proper precautions when approaching a home.

I'm all for licensing your dogs, as I've posted here before (and here's another prior post on the topic). Involving the DWP makes me nervous, though, since I've had a year-long battle with that department in trying take an overcharge off my trash pickup bills. Let's just say they don't have my confidence when it comes to efficiency or accuracy.

But I suppose that's my own separate issue.

The city requires that all dogs -- and horses -- be licensed by the Department of Animal Services. Cats are exempt.

A license for a spayed or netuered dog in the city of L.A. costs $15 (up from $10 just a couple years ago). Garcetti estimates only about 20 percent of pet dogs in Los Angeles are licensed.

So what do you think? Is your dog licensed? Why or why not?

For those of you following the debate about allowing leashed dogs  in municipal parks in Redondo Beach, the Los Angeles Times published a story today.

The Daily Breeze story on the same issue ran Thursday.

Thanks to Daily Breeze crime reporter Larry Altman for alerting us to the news that a 24-hour tip line to report dog fighting has been launched in Los Angeles County.

The program will pay tipsters up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest or conviction of individuals involved in dog fighting. From the press release:

Beginning today, residents can call 1-877-NO2FITE and provide information about a dog fighting ring, an upcoming dog fight or an individual who is involved in dog fighting.

If someone is aware of a fight in progress, they should call 911 immediately, said District Attorney Steve Cooley.

"Our goal is to encourage citizens to help law enforcement root out a brutal crime that often goes unreported and occurs in the shadows," Cooley said during a press conference.

The Humane Society of the United States is co-sponsoring the program. 

Calls will be answered by a person 24 hours a day.

The Humane Society estimates that dog fighting is widespread in L.A. County. And dog fighting, Cooley said, often leads to busting people of other crimes, including drug dealing and weapons possession.

"We expect that these tips will be a starting point for major criminal investigations," he said.

I still remember talking with a young boy, probably about 10, at the Long Beach dog park one afternoon maybe 15 years ago. He was walking home and stopped by just to visit the dog park with a friend. He mentioned to me that someone in his neighborhood was involved in dog fighting and that the kids sometimes went to watch. I was horrified and urged him never to watch such a thing, that it was both immoral and illegal, and that someone really should report it. But ever since I was sorry I didn't try to get more information out of him about who and where so I could have reported it to the authorities myself.

Animal control and police officers I've spoken to since acknowledge dog fighting goes on in our local communities. But because it operates in such an underground world, they have a very hard time getting enough details in a timely manner to make arrests.

Maybe this hotline and the monetary rewards will help.  

Daily Breeze reporter Nick Green reports today that the city of Torrance will consider a spay-neuter ordinance for cats and dogs at the next City Council meeting on May 7.

The decision came after Debra Corwin, founder of the Torrance-based rescue group Purrfect Partners, appeared before the city's environmental Quality Commission to lobby for the proposal. Earlier this month, she even showed up with three tiny kittens, their eyes still unopened, that she said were rescued from a city facility on Madrona Avenue.

"I said, 'I know this is inappropriate, but look at these," she recalled. "What I emphasized was I was the 10th (rescue) group they had called -- no one could take them in. I shouldn't even be taking them in."

Homeless animals, she said, were "an epidemic beofre the economy changed." And now? "It's worse."

Our story online so far is drawing some lively comments from readers (you can find them -- and add your own -- at the bottom of the story on the link provided above): 

NAB wrote: "If the problem is stray animals (feral cats) reproducing, how will a mandatory spay and neuter law solve this problem? Animals can't read and so they will not know that they need to be fixed in order to be compliant with the law. The vast majority of owned animals are already spayed and netuered."

Torrance Mom wrote: "Since feral cats are the main problem, why not set up low-cost or free programs for rescue groups and others to trap these cats and have them fixed and released? Solves the over-population of cats, keeps the rodent population under control of the cats, and everybody's happy. (Well, except the cat-haters.)"

Anthony had this to say: "Deborah means well, but all you have to do to see that mandatory spay and neuter does not work is look to Los angeles, where intakes and euthanasia have skyrocketed since the law was passed ... By the way, the clinic on PCH is no longer low-cost, and the clinic at the San Pedro shelter is not open."

He's officially now an outlaw.

This is happening in Lima, Peru, but how long before laws like this reach the South Bay? Then where will I be?

Not only do I have the loudest dog in the South Bay, but he has a very distinctive bark, so people blocks away know exactly who the offender is.

It's just that he likes to talk.

I'm doomed.

LIMA (Reuters) - Dog lovers beware. A neighborhood in Peru's capital, Lima, has passed a law prohibiting families living in apartments from having more than one dog. People living in houses are allowed two dogs, while those found with more will be subject to hefty fines.

According to an order published in the country's official gazette on Thursday, residents of Jesus Maria, a middle-class area in Lima, have said there are just too many dogs -- and too much barking.

"Neighbors have complained they cannot live in peace, harmony, or good physical and mental health because ... noisy dogs disturb the peace," the order read.

Here's a picture of my dog telling somebody something from 15 miles away.

Some of you will love hearing this -- others, not so much.

California's proposed mandatory spay and neuter bill (AB 1634)  has been defeated following amendments that led even its staunch backers (the California Taxpayers for Safe and Healthy Pets) to back away from full-hearted support in the end. "We didn't want it to pass," said supporter Judie Mancuso. "It's unfortunate when you can't support your own bill."

The bill had widespread support from animal shelter directors, animal rights and rescue groups, in addition to the SPCA and humane societies -- all battling the rising tide of pet overpopulation that so tragically leads to a last-resort solution at animal shelters, euthanasia of healthy but unwanted pets.

Opposing the measure have been dog owners involved in breeding and training show breeds, guide and service dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, police dogs, hunting dogs and working herding and livestock guardian dogs.

I've had friends on both sides of this legislation -- dedicated rescue and shelter volunteers who supported it and equally dedicated members of the South Bay Kennel Club and those with working herding dogs who were opposed.

Here are links to supporters' fact sheets  and the AKC's most recent press release.

So what's next? Mancuso, who has been helping to shepherd the bill through the legislature, said attentions will now be turned to helping implement Los Angeles' city spay and neuter law that takes effect Oct. 1. And, she added, we can expect another stab at a statewide bill during the next legislative session.

Meanwhile, the push to establish specialized license plates to support the spay and neuter cause in California is continuing through a separate process (it was not connected directly to AB 1634 as we earlier reported). State Sen. Alex Padilla is spearheading that drive and Mancuso said discussions are ongoing with the DMV about what will be required. The plates are expected to be available by late 2008 or early 2009, with 75 percent of the motorist fees going toward county programs that help fund low-cost spay and neuter efforts.

A contest is being considered to come up with the artwork and message for the plates, she said. Below are a few samples from other states (including Arizona and Illinois, the home states of our two 2008 presidential candidates -- mentioned only because we're all about politics this week in the media and I couldn't find a pet or dog connection to the convention other than some stories about the protesters that came up on google searches). 

Others samples can be seen at the Doris Day web page:

When it comes to efforts to spay and neuter Los Angeles pets, the city is falling short, according to a new audit released by Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick. Reporter Kerry Cavanaugh writes about it in today's Los Angeles Daily News and Daily Breeze:

Six months after the Los Angeles City Council and mayor passed an ordinance requiring owners to spay or neuter their pets, the city has done little to educate the public on the new rule -- and will likely rely on voluntary compliance, according to an audit released Tuesday.

Los Angeles is the largest city in the nation to enact such a strict spay-and-neuter ordinance. The law takes effect in October and requires owners to fix pets 4 months old or older.

Animal Services General Manager Ed Boks says lack of funding is a problem.

"This ordinance is an unfunded mandate for the department," Boks told the Daily News. "It comes at a time when the department sustained 15 percent budget cuts this year and we're facing the layoffs of some 27 employees."

Public service announcements are being prepared, he said, and the department will enforce the ordinance once it takes effect Oct. 1.

The city's Animal Services web site provides more information about the new law along with resources to find low-cost spay and neuter clinics.