The Importance of Spay/Neuter in LA County

Spaying and neutering is an important part of responsible pet ownership. In some places, like LA County, it is even law. We’ve also listed the other states that have laws governing the spaying/neutering or adopted pets below.

Spaying and neutering your pet helps cut down on overpopulation, strats and kill shelters. Here at Vanderpump Dogs, we support spaying and neutering, and this article will provide more information on why it is so important.

IMPORTANCE OF SPAY AND NEUTER

Spaying and neutering cats and dogs has demonstrated benefits. These remain the same across species. However, spaying and neutering each provide their own unique advantages:

Spaying Benefits

• Females will not go into heat. This prevents their cycle from attracting males and having puppies

• Dogs are less likely to try and leave their yard. 

• Dogs are also less likely to have mammary gland tumors and ovarian or uterine cancer. 

• They cannot create puppies who owners may not be able to afford or properly care for

Neutering Benefits

• Aggressive tendencies are curbed. 

• Won’t try to roam nearly as much. However, the dog experts at Totally Goldens, say that this result is greatly dependent on breed. Some breeds, like Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes, are prone to wandering whether or not they’re neutered. 

• The risk of testicular cancer and prostate disease. 

• The risk of unwanted babies is eliminated. 

Spaying and neutering both get rid of the problem of overpopulation. Some breeds are more overpopulated than others. For example, Chihuahuas are euthanized more than any other dog in the United States. 

In all, there are about 6-8 million homeless pets in the United States. Worse still, around 2.7 million perfectly healthy cats and dogs are euthanized in kill shelters every year because they don’t have homes or have roamed away from home. Sterilizing your pets is the only way to completely ensure that the number of homeless pets is reduced. 

As you can see from the list above, spaying and neutering also benefits the health of your pet. Females are less likely to get ovarian or uterine cancer. Males are less likely to develop testicular cancer and prostate disease. A 2013 article estimated that neutered male does with live 18% longer than their non-neutered counterparts. For female neutered dogs, that percentage increases to 23%. 

Spaying and neutering decrease the homeless pet population, cuts down on health issues, and even curbs bad behavior. Many dogs and cats are less likely to roam when spayed and neutered. Males are also less likely to display aggressive behavior. 

What’s the Law in LA Country?

Obviously, spaying and neutering your pet provides a lot of benefits. But, sterilization proponents do not just rely on education. The long list of states with laws governing spay/neuter of cats and dogs illustrates the way that lawmakers have attempted to solve the problem:

• Alabama

• Arizona

• Arkansas

• California

• Colorado

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• D.C.

• Florida

• Georgia

• Iowa

• Kansas

• Louisiana

• Maine

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• Missouri

• Montana

• Nebraska

• New Jersey

• New Mexico

• New York

• Nevada

• North Dakota

• Oklahoma

• Pennsylvania

• Rhode Island

• South Carolina

• Tennessee

• Texas

• Utah

• West Virginia

Of all the spay/neuter laws, LA County has the toughest in the United States. The law was signed into effect on Feb. 26, 2008. This law mandates that every dog and cat must be spayed or neutered by four months old. There are exceptions to this law. You have to be approved by the county and purchase the special license to take advantage of these exceptions. 

If you do not have special permission, you face up to a $500 fine per animal that is not spayed or neutered. Breaking this law is a misdemeanor and may result in sterilization and microchipping of the animal at the owner’s expense. 

Is LA Law Effective? 

There is no doubt that spaying and neutering your pet is a good idea. However, some have begun pushing back against spay/neuter laws like LA County’s. They claim that the laws are ineffective and poorly enforced. There may be some truth to this argument. In 2011, four years after the passing of the 2008 law, the numbers of euthanized dogs were up 15.1%, numbers of euthanized cats were also up. 

Clearly, these numbers are old, but they point to a larger problem with the LA County law. There are not a lot of low-cost spay/neuter clinics in LA County. Low-income people have trouble paying for the procedure for their pets. Often these dogs and cats end up in shelters themselves so that they get the medical care the owner cannot afford. The LA County law is also notoriously under enforced. 

Just because there are problems with the law does not mean we support un-neutered animals. If you are a responsible pet owner, you will spay or neuter your pet. We at Vanderpump Dogs aim to cut down on the astronomical number of healthy pets euthanized every year. 

To do that, we are urging those considering buying a dog to instead rescue one of our beautiful pups to curb overpopulation in LA shelters. Of course we always spay/neuter our dogs and cats. Perhaps an increase in education and access to low-cost sterilization facilities will help more people make the correct decision. 

Final thoughts

Dogs have a lot to offer us. Whether you are young or old, you can get a lot out of a relationship with a dog. But owning a dog or cat comes with its responsibilities. One of the most important: spaying and neutering.