News
To All California Residents: Support Needed for SB 250!
April 06, 2009, 3:34PM MT
By Cheri Moon
Bill that aims to reduce pet overpopulation and euthanasia in California moves forward in Senate
Bill that aims to reduce pet overpopulation and euthanasia in California moves forward in Senate
UPDATE: On April 15th, the Senate Local Government Committee voted in favor of SB 250 3-to-1. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Appropriations and will be voted on again before the end of the month.
Update posted by Carrie Jones, Best Friends Network Volunteer
To California Residents Only
SB 250, the Pet Responsibility Act, is being voted on Wednesday April 8 and it needs your help to pass.
This legislation aims to reduce pet overpopulation and euthanasia in California.
The group Social Compassion in Legislation (SCIL) has set up an entire website devoted to this bill.
Over half of the 1 million animals in CA shelters are euthanized
According to SCIL, each year, over $250 million dollars is spent housing and euthanizing homeless dogs and cats in California. Approximately 1 million dogs and cats enter California’s shelters each year, and over half of them are euthanized (killed) simply because there are not enough homes.
This enormous number of homeless pets actually means that every dog born in the state of California today has nearly a 1 in 4 chance of ultimately becoming homeless and dying in a shelter. Two-thirds of the cats entering California shelters are euthanized. And, the number of dogs and cats entering our shelters is currently on the rise.
SCIL reports that SB 250 provides a reasonable, fiscally responsible step towards reducing pet overpopulation in California. The bill simply requires that dogs be spayed or neutered unless their owner/guardian obtains an unaltered dog license when they license their animal.
How You Can Help
The first SB 250 vote in the Senate is April 15th.
All letters must be sent by 5:00 pm Wednesday, April 8th.
?Click here to automatically send a letter today.
?Call the five committee members. Please be professional and polite when asking for support of SB 250.
Note: You can call the committee right up until Wednesday morning, April 15th.
• Senator Patricia Wiggins (Chair)
Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano & Sonoma
(916) 651-4002
• Senator Dave Cox (Vice-Chair)
• Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Plumas, Sierra, Nevada, Placer and Sacramento
(916) 651-4001
• Senator Samuel Aanestad
Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity and Yuba
916) 651-4004
• Senator Christine Kehoe
Del Mar, Lemon Grove, San Diego, Casa de Oro-Mo, La Presa, and Spring Valley.
(916) 651-4039
• Senator Lois Wolk
San Joaquin County, Solano County, Sacramento County
(916) 651-4005
?Attend the Meeting
Capitol in Sacramento, in Room 112
April 15th at 9:30 am
The actual bill will be heard at 11:00 am
**Best Friends Animal Society has not taken a position of support of opposition to this piece of legislation. For more information on how animal legislation is reported on the Best Friends Network, click here.
Stock photo of dog in LA Baldwin Shelter by Clay Myers, Best Friends Staff
Posted by Cheri Moon, Best Friends Staff