$500 Fee OKd for Dogs in Breeding Condition

Seeking to sharply reduce the number of animals put to death each year in city shelters, the Board of Animal Commissioners on Tuesday approved a proposal by a city task force that would include an annual $500 licensing fee for owners who fail to spay or neuter their dogs.

Under the ordinance proposed by the Pet Population Task Force, owners who neuter their dogs would pay an annual $10 fee while those who do not would be charged $500.

A $35 license would also be an option for those who do not neuter their dogs but who meet criteria establishing them as “responsible owners.” Ongoing involvement with an animal organization such as dog shows or obedience training would serve as proof of responsible ownership.

Current licensing fees are $10 for neutered dogs and $40 for those that aren’t.

Board Commissioner Gini Barrett, director of the American Humane Assn.’s western region, said Los Angeles taxpayers spend more than $4 million to euthanize an estimated 55,000 cats and dogs every year.

“The streets of Los Angeles are teeming with loose, roaming dogs and cats,” Barrett said. “Some belong to owners with little understanding or concern about the hazards this creates for the animals they claim to love, or the problems it generates for others in their community.”

The task force was convened by the board in July 1996 to study ways to reduce the number of unwanted pets in the city.

The board voted Tuesday to accept the task force’s recommendations, instructing the Department of Animal Services to prepare a final ordinance by December. If the board approves the ordinance, as expected, it would then go to the City Council.

Phyllis Daugherty, co-director of Animal Issues Movement, a Los Angeles-based animal-rescue organization, supported the recommendations, but said they do not go far enough.

“This is a good step in the right direction but it lacks any specific prohibition on breeding. We are also concerned that the [responsible owner license] excludes too many people,” Daugherty said.

While acknowledging that the $500 fee for dogs that are not neutered or spayed was high, Barrett said that it was unfair for responsible pet owners and those without pets to pay for the mistakes of others.

“We hope we never have to collect a $500 fee,” Barrett said. “I want everyone to either neuter their dogs or get involved in programs that prove they are responsible.”