Animal Activism

Hundreds of animal activists are expected to turn out Tuesday for a hearing on one of the most contentious issues before Los Angeles city officials: pet overpopulation.

The hearing before the Animal Regulation Commission, to be held in the large Community Center at Mission College, will be the first since a rowdy, overflow crowd forced abrupt cancellation of a similar meeting in August.

A heated debate pitting animal rights and rescue organizations against breeders and owners of purebred dogs has mushroomed since the City Council in March ordered that steps be taken to curtail animal overpopulation.

The commission is considering a law that would make it illegal to own a dog or cat that has not been sterilized, unless the owner pays hundreds of dollars for a license and permit.

“Animal issues are incredibly hot-button issues and this meeting will be particularly incredible,” said Gini Barrett, western regional director of the American Humane Assn., based in Sherman Oaks. Barrett, who resigned from the city’s Animal Regulation Commission in June after serving six years, said the humane group has remained neutral about the city’s current proposal.

“We have taken a strong stance that something needs to pass,” Barrett said. “But we think there is a broad range of options that can work. So we are just hoping the discussion moves forward in such a way that we collectively as a city can come together and pass something that is practical, workable and effective.”

Nearly 60,000 Animals Euthanized

The debate over animal overpopulation has raged for decades in a city where nearly 60,000 animals--74% of those that entered the city’s shelters last year--were euthanized.

The humane association estimates that there are about 1.8 million owned dogs and nearly 2.2 million owned cats in Los Angeles County. But there is a huge population of domestic animals without homes--about 45,000 dogs and 2 million cats countywide, the association says.

Animal Services General Manager Dan Knapp, who took over the post last year, is a no-kill advocate who has vowed to find ways to deal with the overpopulation issue.

He said other cities, including San Mateo and Santa Cruz, have seen “significant drops in shelter populations” after implementing strict rules and high fees on owners of breeding animals.

The latest proposal would require owners of all cats and dogs to spay or neuter the animals before they are 5 months old. Owners who refuse would be charged a $100 annual fee for each unaltered animal. In addition, those owners would also be forced to pay an additional $200 yearly for a breeding permit, even if they don’t breed the pet.

Breeders, on the other hand, would be limited to producing only one litter per year, a provision that has angered many dog and cat fanciers.

Jim Walsh of Sylmar, who breeds and shows English bulldogs, said provisions in the ordinance would destroy serious hobbyists who responsibly breed their pets.

“I absolutely agree there is a pet overpopulation problem,” Walsh said. “But it is not purebreds and to say this is going to solve the problem is a joke.”

Hearings Attract Larger Crowds

Because of the extensive controversy surrounding the issue, commissioners had scheduled hearings from July to October in each of the six shelter districts in the city.

About 60 people, roughly evenly divided between proponents and opponents of the crackdown, participated in the first hearing, held at Los Angeles City Hall. The crowd swelled to more than 100 at the second meeting--at the Peck Park Community Center in San Pedro.

But no one anticipated the turnout at the third hearing Aug. 25 at the Mid Valley Regional Library in North Hills. More than 150 people crammed into the facility, while an estimated 200 or more outside clamored to be heard.

Fire officials ordered the meeting canceled shortly after it began, said Jackie David, spokeswoman for the Department of Animal Services.

Al Avila, acting commission president, asked department officials to seek larger facilities for future hearings. In addition, the time allotment for hearings is extended from 90 minutes to four hours.

Tuesday’s hearing will be conducted from 5 to 9 p.m. at the college center, 13356 Eldridge Ave., which has a capacity for an audience of 900.

A second San Fernando Valley hearing is scheduled Sept. 29 from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Cal State Northridge.

Avila said he expects the commission to reach a recommendation by the end of the year. The recommendation will then be sent to the City Council’s Public Safety Committee prior to a hearing before the full council.

This week’s animal regulation commission meeting will be the first to be attended by the newest commissioner: Kathleen Riordan, appointed by her father, the mayor.

A second vacancy on the five-member board has not yet been filled.