Vote NO - Chicago spay/neuter legislation

Sweet72947

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Link to poll: Vote no, delete cookies, refresh browser, repeat.
http://tinyurl.com/6bdjva


HSUS Weighs in on Chicago Mandatory Spay/Castrate



On July 29, Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th) and Ald. Virginia A. Rugai (19th)
presented their draft mandatory spay/castrate ordinance to Chicago’s Joint
Committee on Finance and License and Consumer Protection. The ordinance would
require all cats and dogs be spay/castrated at the age of six months. The
ordinance contains an option for a breeding permit which allows only one litter
per year if the litter is registered with a registry approved by the City
commission. The ordinance also requires applicants for breeding permits to
undergo criminal background checks.



The distorted reasoning for this ordinance, as stated by Ald. Burke, is that
the ordinance will increase public safety by targeting gangs and others that
keep unsterilized dogs. It is beyond reason to think that anyone who
engages in dog fighting, which is already a felony under Illinois state law, will
obey a newly enacted spay/castration ordinance or submit to background checks
to apply for a breeding permit.



All that this ordinance can possibly accomplish is to create a potential new
class of criminals--responsi ble dog owners and breeders, who choose not to
spay or castrate their dogs, as well as waste a lot of Chicago taxpayers’ money
in investigation and enforcement of a useless ordinance.



Apparently, the Humane Society of the United States doesn’t agree.



On July 30, HSUS issued a press release via their website in support of the
proposed mandatory spay/castrate ordinance and thanked Chicago lawmakers for “
addressing this important animal welfare issue.†The statement reads, “
Every year, more than 3 million dogs and cats are euthanized in animal shelters
nationwide-includin g 19,000 pets in the City of Chicago-because not enough
people choose to adopt. Spaying and neutering, at this time, is the only
permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats, and
this legislation provides an incentive for people to sterilize their animals and
reorients public policy to expect that animal caretakers will see that their
animals are sterilized.â€



With the same tired language used repeatedly by animal rights zealots, HSUS
downplays the potential impact of the ordinance by stating, “It is simply
wrong to refer to this ordinance as simply a "mandatory spay and neuter measure"
because it does allow responsible pet owners to opt out of spay or neuter for
their animals for numerous reasons. Under this legislation, people who elect
not to spay or neuter their animals in order to breed their dog or cat must
pay a permit fee. In that sense, this legislation provides incentives for
people to spay and neuter, and it amounts to something of a differential license
fee for people who do not want to spay or neuter their animals.â€

http://www.hsus.org/press_ and_publ...n_chicago_spay_ neuter_ordinance _073008.html



Let’s look at what the ordinance really means. First, if sterilization is
required, then by definition it is mandatory regardless of exemptions which
are only as good as the paper they are written on; exemptions can be removed
at any time. Second, what registries (if any) will be approved and by what
method remains unclear. Third, Chicago Animal Shelter Alliance reports,
"Between 2003 and 2005 overall citywide euthanasia rates dropped 12% and shelter
intake went down to 11%. With an overall shelter killing rate per 1,000 humans
at a historic low of 6.9%, Denver remains the only city between the coasts
with a lower kill rate (5.9%)." In recent years, Chicago already has seen
greatly reduced numbers of cats and dogs euthanized in its shelters on a yearly
basis without mandatory spay/neuter.

Source: http://www.anticruelty.org/site/epage/42566_ 576.htm




Additionally, let us not pretend that "neutering" is a benign surgery. What
HSUS (and other animal rightist activists) call "neutering" is, plain and
simple, castration, specifically the gonadectomy of males, meaning surgical
removal of the testicles, and the ovariohysterectomy of females, meaning
surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus. In other words, nothing
trivial--nothing most people would want forced on themselves.



Above all, has there *ever* been any doubt that mandatory spay/castration is
NOT about the well-being of animals, but an agenda to end breeding of
domesticated dogs and cats?



HSUS makes their position pretty clear in Chicago that a good dog is a
sterile dog. The tired overpopulation argument is told again in order to pass
punitive legislation to cripple breeders, blaming them for contributing to
shelter statistics. Yet on their web page for adopting pets HSUS states: “[In
fact,] most animals are given to shelters because of "people reasons," not
because of anything they've done. Things like a divorce, a move, lack of time or
financial constraints are among the most common reasons why pets lose their
homes.†In other words, the most common reasons for turning pets over to
shelters has nothing to do with overpopulation, but instead people’s (usually)
unavoidable and unpredictable lifestyle changes.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/ pet_adopt...riend/top_five_ reasons_to_ adopt_a_pet. html



In State of the Animals 2001, HSUS stated: There was, however, general
consensus among most animal related organizations that the term pet overpopulation
was not only difficult to define, but that it was also probably no longer an
accurate catchphrase to describe the reasons for animals leaving their
original homes, especially for dogs."



Does HSUS ever make up their mind what the real story is? Despite dimi
nishing shelter statistics and knowing the source of shelter populations is due to
owner retention issues, HSUS and Illinois activists continue chanting the
animal rights mantra for across the board pet sterilization.



In response to the proposed mandatory spay/castration ordinance, the ISVMA
issued the following opposition statement:



July 28, 2008. The Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association (ISVMA)
opposes the mandatory spay/neuter ordinance being proposed for the City of
Chicago. The ISVMA opposes this proposed ordinance for the following reasons:

* There is no scientifically- based research that supports the proponent’s
argument that only intact animals bite.



*There is no conclusive evidence that mandatory spay/neuter programs work.



* This mandate would discourage pet owners from seeking rabies immunization
if they are opposed to neutering/spaying and fear they will be reported. It is
already a struggle to ensure the proper safeguards are in place to protect
the public from rabies. Anything that makes rabies vaccination compliance more
difficult should be seriously scrutinized. Rabies is essentially a 100%
fatal disease to humans, dogs and cats.



* There are not enough resources in Chicago to enforce mandatory spay/neuter
in a meaningful way.
 

Sweet72947

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Continuation of article:

* With regard to creating a healthier pet, there are both positive and
negative affects accrued from sterilization. It appears that benefits outweigh
risks; however, there are many breed and individual dog variants, suggesting
that professional judgment is required to determine whether and when to
neuter/spay pets.

Although the ordinance’s stated goals to reduce the number of unwanted pets
and gang activity are laudable, said Dr. Steve Dullard, ISVMA Legislative
Committee Chair, the reality is that it will have no effect on these problems.
Instead, it will create some serious public health concerns, cause many animals
to be denied necessary health care, and will trample on the personal
property rights of conscientious pet owners.

http://www.isvma.org/member_ correspondence/ mandatory_ spay_neuter. doc




Not every councilman has bought into the HSUS argument. An article from
Medill Reports - Chicago, Northwestern University, quotes Ald. Ray Suarez (31st)
as saying, “I don’t like when the government tries to get involved in
everything to solve problems. Right now we’re starting with pets… What’s the next
step?â€



Just a few months ago, in May, the Chicago City Council repealed the ban on
foie gras sale that it put in place two years ago at the urging of HSUS and
local activists. No other American city has prohibited foie gras. The Chicago
ban brought a law suit against the City by restaurateurs and has been a source
of embarrassment for the city as residents accused officials of trying to
micromanage people’s lives. Is the Chicago City Council really willing to
follow HSUS on yet another embarrassing, unenforceable animal rightist
legislative journey?



Many people in attendance at the July 29 hearing on the proposed mandatory
spay/castratation ordinance did not have the opportunity to speak concerning
the ordinance. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for September 10 and
presumably the ordinance will be back on the agenda. If you cannot arrange to
meet with your councilman before the next council session, continue to call
and fax letters with your opposition. Contact information can be found here:

http://tinyurl.com/4cuyr
 

ACooper

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Oh man, if Chicago is considering this we (N. Indiana) won't be to far behind! :(
 

Beanie

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You're telling me, Coop. If Chicago passes this, the rest of IL is next. Ugh.
 

ACooper

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And I am sure we can agree that spay/neuter is a good thing, but the laws always go way over board, like making it by 4 months of age.........WAY TOO YOUNG for certain breeds IMO.

*sigh*
 

Beanie

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Agreed... that was one of the points I stressed in my letters I sent off to the Aldermen on this. Most of them seemed to already have their minds made up on this issue, though - at least, that's the impression I got from the canned responses I got back. =P
 

Lilavati

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Agreed... that was one of the points I stressed in my letters I sent off to the Aldermen on this. Most of them seemed to already have their minds made up on this issue, though - at least, that's the impression I got from the canned responses I got back. =P
You always get canned responses. But some hapless intern is back there counting letters . . . pity them.
 

Kayota

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What if it's a breed that has anesthesia problems like a sighthound, or a dog has medical problems and can't undergo the surgery? THEN what?
 

ACooper

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What if it's a breed that has anesthesia problems like a sighthound, or a dog has medical problems and can't undergo the surgery? THEN what?
Hopefully they will take that into consideration with an explanation from your Vet.

But THEN you have the problem of people using that as an out when they shouldn't.
 

HoundedByHounds

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This is in addendum to that...I think...

"2007 Chicago Animal Shelter Alliance
Admissions, Euthanasia Rates Plunge

Success Contradicts Push For Forced Spay/Neuter Law
As Chicago Almost Arrives At Coveted `No-Kill' Status

by JOHN YATES
American Sporting Dog Alliance
http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org
[email protected]

CHICAGO – The most recent data from Chicago animal shelters shows
unparalleled success in lowering admissions and reducing euthanasia
rates. Admission rates plunged 4.5-percent and it is probable that
no healthy and adoptable dogs had to be euthanized in 2007.

Chicago animal shelters are literally knocking on the door of
coveted "no-kill" status, which means that no adoptable, healthy or
treatable dogs and cats are euthanized. At its current rate of
progress, "no-kill" will be a reality in Chicago within two years
for both dogs and cats.

A statistical analysis of the past 12 years shows that Chicago has
one of the very best sheltering systems in America. The city's
success at reducing the number of unwanted dogs and finding homes
for adoptable dogs has been truly noteworthy. No city in America has
shown better results.

American Sporting Dog Alliance researchers Margo Milde and Michele
Smith obtained official Chicago Animal Shelter Alliance (CASA)
statistics for 2007. This information has not been published in
Chicago or placed on local sheltering websites. Nor has it been made
available to City Council, which is considering a tough ordinance to
force people to spay or neuter their pets.

Animal rights groups and aldermen pushing for this ordinance have
been spreading disinformation about shelter statistics in order to
create the false appearance of a crisis.

The official report tells the truth about the statistics.

The CASA data for 2007 shows a one-year drop in shelter admission
rates of 5-percent in the City of Chicago, and an 18-percent drop in
the number of cats and dogs that had to be euthanized.

For dogs only, there was an 8.4-percent decline in shelter
admissions and a 17-percent decline in the number of dogs that had
to be euthanized, the 2007 data shows.

But the best news is that only 445 healthy dogs had to be euthanized
in Chicago last year, compared to 736 in 2006. Most if not all of
these dogs were euthanized because they had serious temperament
problems, such as aggression toward people or other animals, or
other severe behavioral problems. Many of them were brought to the
shelter by their owners specifically to be euthanized for these
reasons.

"
 

HoundedByHounds

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...continued

"All of the other dogs that were euthanized were unhealthy due to

advanced age, illness or injury, the data shows. Some of them had

conditions that could be treated or managed, but the vast majority

of these dogs were listed as untreatable.



Thus, for all practical purposes, it is fair to say that no healthy

and adoptable dogs were euthanized in the City of Chicago last year.



It doesn't get much better than that!



One of the stated reasons for the forced pet sterilization ordinance

that is before City Council now is an alleged over-population of

pets in Chicago. The shelter data completely refutes this allegation.



The animal sheltering system in Chicago consists of large operations

run by Animal Control, the Anti-Cruelty Society and the Animal

Welfare League, backed by smaller organizations such as Chicago

Canine Rescue, Felines, Harmony House, Lakeshore, PAWS and

Treehouse. These city-based groups form CASA, and their statistics

are the basis for the 2007 report. They also work closely with

several other shelters and rescue groups in the metro area. These

non-CASA programs bring dogs into the city shelter system to be

euthanized, and also rescue dogs from the large shelters that are

easily adoptable.



CASA's success can be attributed to aggressive public education

programs, rescue work, foster care, adoptions and subsidized low-

cost voluntary pet sterilization. Nationwide, a reported 60-percent

of all dogs are spayed or neutered. Other sources peg this number at

as high as 75-percent.



These sheltering organizations not only find homes for almost every

healthy and adoptable dog in the Chicago metro area, but also rescue

thousands of dogs every year from natural disasters like Hurricane

Katrina, overcrowded animal shelters in the southern states, and

dogs seized from "puppy mills" that have been shut down by the law.



The extent of this "humane relocation" effort is huge. Every

Interstate highway has one or more rescue message boards to

coordinate transportation for these dogs, and several other websites

are devoted solely to this purpose. For example, the I-65 message

board lists 3,742 postings to arrange transportation of dogs heading

toward Chicago.



Here are some of the highlights of the 2007 CASA report:



· Shelter admissions of cats and dogs dropped from 42,479 in

2006, to 40,555 in 2007 – a 4.5-percent decline. For dogs only, the

drop was from 19,544 to 17,904, or 8.4-percent.



· New homes were found for 11,460 cats and dogs in 2007,

compared to 11,378 in 2006. For dogs only, adoptions increased from

5,088 in 2006 to 5,113 in 2007, which is almost miraculous

considering that 8.4-percent fewer dogs entered the shelter system.



· In 2006, 30-percent of the dogs that entered the shelter

system found new adoptive homes. This rose to 34-percent in 2007,

for a 4-percent increase. Cat adoptions increased by .3-percent.



· In 2007, 1,107 dogs were reunited with their owners in the

shelters. This compared to 1,118 in 2006.



· Of the 6,290 dogs that were euthanized in 2007, 5,041 had to

be killed because of untreatable serious medical problems. The

report shows that 1,054 dogs were brought by their owners

specifically for euthanasia.



· The number of dogs euthanized fell from 8,820 in 2006 to

6,290 in 2006, a 17-percent decline.



The numbers contained in the 2007 report clearly state the continued

success of the Chicago sheltering program, and there is no other way

to describe that success except to call it phenomenal.



This is nothing new for Chicago. Between 2003 and 2005, the citywide

euthanasia rate dropped 12% and shelter admissions fell by 11-

percent.



In 1996, 42,561 animals were euthanized in Chicago. The 2007 total

of 18,969 shelter deaths is an incredible 79-percent decline since

1996.



The proposed Chicago ordinance is supported by the Humane Society of

the United States and other radical animal rights groups. These

groups allege that an over-population of pets justifies mandatory

pet sterilization.



The facts in the CASA report put the HSUS rationale in its true

perspective, which is part of the organization's long-range plan to

eliminate animal ownership in America.



Simply put, HSUS is lying.



HSUS and other groups are spreading disinformation in an attempt to

pressure City Council to pass an ordinance that would have murderous

consequences for animals and harm the lives of many fanciers of high

quality purebred dogs and thousands of dog owners.



The data shows clearly that there are not enough adoptable pets in

Chicago to meet consumer demand. Virtually every adoptable dog finds

a new home. Thousands of dogs are imported from other parts of the

country every year, and some are brought in from foreign countries.



The proposed ordinance requires spaying or neutering for all but a

few cats and dogs, such as those used for shows, competition or

breeding. The license fee for intact dogs and cats is set at $100 a

year for each animal.



Moreover, to qualify for any exemption, the applicant must submit to

criminal background checks for every family member.



The American Sporting Dog Alliance urges all Chicago and metro dog

owners to take an active role in our efforts to defeat this proposed

ordinance.



Please contact local organizers to coordinate your participation and

plug into what we are doing. They are Karen Perry

([email protected]), Margo Milde ([email protected]) and

Michele Smith ([email protected]).



It is very important for dog owners to contact City Council members

before the next committee meeting in September. The assemblymen must

know the truth about city shelter statistics, if we are to defeat

the HSUS campaign of lies, disinformation and distortion.



This ordinance can be stopped if strong opposition arises from every

neighborhood in Chicago, and from all segments of the dog community.

Letters sent to the aldermen by surface mail are the most effective,

followed by faxes and phone calls. Emails are the least effective.

Even if they are brief, personal letters are much more effective

than form letters.



Here is a link to the web pages of each of the aldermen, where you

will find contact information:

http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalProgramAction.do?

programId=536879154&channelId=-536879035&topChannelName=Government.



Here is a link to City Council Committees:

http://www.chicityclerk.com/standingcommettee.php. Tuesday's meeting

will involve both the Committee on Finance and the Committee on

License and Consumer Protection. This web page gives links to each

committee member.



Also, please contact your friends and members and officers of any

clubs or organizations you belong to that can help. These include

dog clubs, sportsmen's clubs, farmers' groups and firearms rights

organizations. Hunters, farmers and firearms enthusiasts know that

these kinds of laws stem from animal rights groups that also want to

eliminate hunting, raising animals for food and the right to keep

and bear arms.



In addition, please join a dog owners' rights advocacy organization

that reflects your personal concerns and priorities.



The American Sporting Dog Alliance represents owners, hobby breeders

and professionals who work with breeds of dogs that are used for

hunting. We are a grassroots movement working to protect the rights

of dog owners, and to assure that the traditional relationships

between dogs and humans maintains its rightful place in American

society and life. Please visit us on the web at

http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org or contact us at

[email protected].



The American Sporting Dog Alliance also needs your help so that we

can continue to work to protect the rights of dog owners. Your

membership, participation and support are truly essential to the

success of our mission. We are funded solely by the donations of our

members, and maintain strict independence.



PLEASE CROSS-POST AND FORWARD THIS REPORT"
 

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