Calif. bill may mandate pet sterilization

SACRAMENTO, July 10 (UPI) -- A proposed bill currently being considered in California has drawn its share of criticism for its plan for mandatory spaying and neutering of pets statewide.

The Los Angeles Times Tuesday said a significant number of California citizens have begun speaking out against the California Healthy Pets Act, alleging the bill would unfairly infringe upon a pet owner's rights.

"We don't believe government should be mandating what owners do with their pets," American Kennel Club spokeswoman Lisa Peterson said.

"We feel public education about voluntary spay-neutering is working," she added.

The legislation would still allow pet owners to avoid such measures by getting a state permit.

But California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, a Democrat who authored the bill, countered such criticisms by citing the costs related to attempts to control the state's animal population.

"We should not be killing 500,000 dogs and cats per year. That is a tragedy," he told the Times. "But for those people who aren't moved by the humane arguments, the amount of tax dollars spent is significant."