EDITORIAL:Sterile pets conserve

Every year in this country alone, nearly 4 million dogs and cats die in animal shelters, according to In Defense of Animals, an international animal protection organization. That their cause of death is preventable makes it a tragic problem that demands a solution.

These dogs and cats are killed because there are not enough people willing or able to provide homes for them. The problem grows exponentially each time an animal — pet or stray — is recklessly or accidentally bred, resulting in suffering for the animals and heartbreak for those invested in their welfare.

The City Council voted last week to draft a mandatory spay/neuter law for animals, with certain exemptions. The law would be the first of its kind in Orange County.

The current plan to alleviate the overpopulation problem is by urging adoption. And during the current greening of America, one might even argue that to buy a dog or cat — from a breeder or pet store — is the political equivalent of driving a gas-guzzling sport utility vehicle, planting a thirsty lawn and then letting the sprinklers run over, and littering. Go rescue one instead.

That it’s a matter of conservation seems hardly contestable. And the solution likely will be found in strengthening our plan to reduce the number of stray dogs and cats that are born every year. How to do that is the issue, and it requires much more thought and diligent study.

At least 30 states, including California, have already passed legislation that mandates sterilization of cats and dogs adopted from community shelters. But because not enough people are taking personal responsibility for spaying and neutering their companion animals, some want the law to go further.

Pet overpopulation is a big drain on a city’s resources, and costly to taxpayers — as much as $300 per animal to catch, shelter, euthanize and dispose of, by IDA estimates. So cities have plenty of incentive to push for a better remedy.

Animal rescue workers say mandating sterilization is the only way to stem the problem, while breeders and owners say any ordinance requiring spaying and neutering would punish them.

Some states impose fines on pet owners who choose not to spay and neuter their animals. In New York City, even dogs and cats sold in pet stores must be spayed or neutered. Spaying and neutering is mandatory in Los Angeles for all dogs and cats within city limits unless the guardian has obtained a $100 annual unaltered animal permit and a breeders’ license.

Is a mandatory spay/neuter law a panacea for the problem of overflowing shelters? Not likely. While the council looks harder to find one, go spay and neuter your four-legged friends, if you haven’t already.