SB 250 "Pet Responsibility Act" Dies in Ass'y; Ass'ymembers Lowenthal & Furutani Vote "Yes" But Several Dems Join w/ Repubs In Defeating Bill
(Sept. 1, 2010, 12:30 a.m.) -- At 11:47 p.m. on Aug. 31, the Assembly voted to defeat SB 250, the "Pet Responsibility Act," effectively killing the measure for the remainder of this legislative session.
The Assembly's Aug. 31 floor tally was 27-39 [the subsequent Clerk tally was 28-40] (with 41 votes needed for passage). Assemblymembers Bonnie Lowenthal (D., LB) and Warren Furutani (D., Carson-LB) both voted "yes" while a number of Dems continued to vote "no" or didn't vote, joining with Repubs in killing the measure.
The Aug. 31 Assembly vote was more lopsided against passage than an Aug. 26 Assembly vote (33-40 on the floor, 34-40 by subsequent clerk tally). Reconsideration led to the Aug. 31 vote...which was preceded by a brief floor colloquy during which some Assemblymembers ridiculed the bill. To hear the Assembly floor colloquy, click here (begins with Ass'y supporter, Bob Blumenfield, D, SFV).
The floor tally as shown on the Assembly webcast via the California Channel is below; the Ass'y Clerk's tally is slightly different (reflects an added "aye" vote by Eng, and an added "no" vote by Galgiani).
MEASURE: SB 250
AUTHOR: Florez
TOPIC: Dogs and cats: spaying and neutering.
DATE: 08/31/2010
LOCATION: ASM. FLOOR
MOTION: SB 250 Florez Senate Third Reading By BLUMENFIELD
(AYES 28. NOES 40.) (FAIL)
AYES
****
Ammiano Arambula Bass Beall
Blumenfield Brownley Davis De Leon
Eng Feuer Fong Fuentes
Furutani Gatto Hall Hayashi
Hernandez Hill Huffman Jones
Lieu Bonnie Lowenthal Nava Portantino
Ruskin Solorio Torlakson John A. Perez
NOES
****
Adams Anderson Bill Berryhill Tom Berryhill
Block Buchanan Caballero Charles Calderon
Chesbro Conway Coto DeVore
Evans Fletcher Fuller Gaines
Galgiani Garrick Gilmore Hagman
Harkey Huber Jeffries Knight
Logue Miller Nestande Niello
Nielsen Norby V. Manuel Perez Salas
Silva Smyth Swanson Torres
Torrico Tran Villines Yamada
ABSENT, ABSTAINING, OR NOT VOTING
*********************************
Bradford Carter Cook De La Torre
Ma Mendoza Monning Saldana
Skinner Audra Strickland Vacancy Vacancy
SB 250 previously passed the Senate with "yes" votes from LB-area Senators Alan Lowenthal (D, LB-Paramount), Jenny Oropeza (D, LB-soutbay) and Rod Wright (D, PV-LB-Inglewood).
SB 250 would have required owners of unlicensed dogs to spay/neuter their canine if impounded, and forbids owners of cats from letting their unsterilized felines roam. Licensed dogs wouldn't have been affected by the measure unless the owner was repeatedly cited for animal control violations. The bill also included exceptions added for specific situations (full bill text below).
SB 250 was supported by a number of animal advocacy groups seeking to reduce euthanasias with spay and neuter programs, including Friends of Long Beach Animals, and by a number of government entities and animal shelter operations, including the City of Long Beach.
SB 250 was opposed by the American Kennel Club, breeder interests and dog and cat show aficionados and other animal owners who for various reasons want their animal to remain intact.
To view SB 250's text that was defeated, click here.
A May 2009 legislative analysis listed supporters and opponents when a Senate committee took up SB250. Below are its listed supporters and opponents as of that date and time:
Support
Social Compassion in Legislation (sponsor)
A Dog's Life Rescue
A New Hope Animal Foundation
A Passion for Paws Rescue, Inc.
All Creatures Animal Caring Society
American Tortoise Rescue
Angeldogs Foundation
Animal Advocates Alliance
Animal Alliance
Animal Birth Control Assistance
Animal Legal Defense Fund
Animal Shelter Assistance Program
Animal Shelter Relief Rescue
Animal Welfare Services for Atwater Village
Arf! We Go Pet Care
Bark Avenue Foundation
Basset Hound Rescue
Bay Area Bird Hospital
Bellflower Veterinary Hospital
Beverly Hills Police Department
Bichon Furkids Rescue
California Federation for Animal Legislation
Canine Canyon Ranch
Cat Cause Foundation
Cats at the Studio
Cats in Need
Central Valley Seekers
Chief of Police Richard J. Ehle, Jr., City of Capitola
City Attorney Rockard J. Delgadillo, City of Los Angeles
City of Bell Gardens
City of Fresno
City of Hayward Shelter Volunteers
City of Huntington Park
City of Lathrop, Animal Services Department
City of Long Beach Animal Care Services
City of Palm Desert
City of Richmond Police Department
City of Vallejo
City of Santa Rosa
City of Stockton Animal Control
City of West Hollywood
Community Concern for Cats in Contra Costa County
Contra Costa Animal Services - Volunteer
County of Lake, Department of Animal Care & Control
Delta Paws Animal Rescue
Dog Land Spay and Neuter
Dogs Run Free of Nevada County
Dogsindanger.com
East Bay Animal Advocates
Feral Cat Coalition
Fieldhaven Feline Rescue
Foundation for the Care of Indigent Animals
Friends of Auburn/Tahoe Vista, Placer County Animal Shelter
Friends of Long Beach Animals
Friends of Madera Animal Shelter
Furry Friends Rescue
Genesis Digital Art Studios
Golden State Humane Society
Happy Critters Guinea Pig Rescue
Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary
Haven of Hope Animal Sanctuary
Hayward Animal Services
Helping out Pets Everyday
Hits Magazine
Home at Last Animal Rescue
Husky Haven of LA
IAG Coffee Franchise, LLC
In Defense of Animals
It's the Pits Rescue
LA Yoga Ayurveda and Health Magazine
Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council
Lancaster Animal Shelter
League of Humane Voters
Long Beach Spay & Neuter Foundation
Madera County Animal Services
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, City of Los Angeles
Mayor Keith Bohr, City of Huntington Beach
Mayor Maggie Houlihan, City of Encinitas
Muttville
Norcal Boxer Rescue
North Bay Animal Advocates
North Coast Animal Welfare Advocacy Center
Northern California Animal Rescue Friends
OCPoundhounds Small Breed Rescue
Pacific Yoga and Ayurveda
Pact, Inc.
PAL Humane Society
Paw Parent
Pawed
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Pet Rescue Center
Pet Sitters I.N.C.
Pet Welfare Proposition
Pets Lifeline, Inc.
Photo Research
Poinsie Pets
Pomeranian Rescue Group
Pooses & Pups Rescue
Positive Pet Parenting Saves Lives
Producers Guild of America
Propp Productions
Purrfect Partners Cat Adoptions
Re/Max Elite Team
Resqcats, Inc.
Resqpet Dog Rescue
Rosedale Animal Rescue
Safe Cat Foundation
Samson PR
San Diego Animal Support Foundation
San Diego House Rabbit Society
Santa Cruz SPCA
Save a Dog Today
Save Tehachapi's Orphaned Pets
Scooter's Pals
Seal Beach Animal Care Center
Seaside Realty
Second Chance Pet Adoptions
Self, Family and Furry Friends Rescue
Senior Citizens for Humane Legislation and Education
Sequoia Humane Society
Shelter Animal Advocacy Fund, LA
Shelter Pet Alliance
Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority
South County Animal Shelter Coalition
Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue
Southland Collie Rescue
Southwest Homes and Land
Stockton Police Department
Tails of the City
Take Me Home
The Catherine Fund
The Dog Squad Rescue, Inc.
The Pet Care Foundation
The Pet Place
The Reva Foundation
The Uncommon Canine, Inc.
Tooth Fairy Pet Care
UCLA People Animal Connection
United Action For Animals
Village Cat Club of Laguna Woods
Voice For the Animals Foundation
Weil Public Relations
Western University Vets for Spay and Neuter
What Animals Tell Us
Wildcare
Windansea Law
Yogafit Inc.
Opposition
Alaskan Malamute Club of America
American Herding Breed Association
American Saluki Association
American Shih Tzu Club, Inc.
American Sighthound Field Association
Bloodhounds West Breed Rescue, Inc., Northern Chapter
Butte County Kennel Club, Inc.
California Airedale Terrier Club Incorporated
California Animal Control Directors Association
California Cattlemen's Association
California Chamber of Commerce
California Farm Bureau Federation
California Outdoor Heritage Alliance
Concerned Dog Owners of California
Dog Judges Association of America
Gold Country English Setter Fanciers
Golden Retriever Club
Golden Retriever Club of Greater Los Angeles
Miniature Schnauzer Club of Northern California
Northern California Siberian Husky Club, Inc.
Peninsula Australian Shepherd Association
PetPAC
Poodle Club of Central California
Saluki Club of America
San Angeles Saluki Club, Inc.
Social Compassion League
Southern California Alaskan Malamute Club
Tally Ho Dawg Walkin' Club
The Animal Council
The Roseville Dog Owners' Group
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club of America
Ventura County Dog Fanciers Association
Vilenzo
West Highland White Terrier Club of California
West Los Angeles Obedience Training Club, Inc.
Yorkshire Terrier Club of America, Inc.
Yosemite Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club remained strongly opposed. In a mass emailing on Aug. 19, 2010 the AKC's Government Relations Office stated in pertinent part:
...Amendments have been adopted, but they only modify the appeals process and do not alter our fundamental opposition to this legislation...
While the AKC strongly encourages all dog owners to abide the animal control laws and to be responsible owners, Senate Bill 250 is unreasonable. Two animal control violations may occur years apart and therefore not accurately reflect the true nature of the dog or the responsibility of the owner. Mandatory sterilization in these cases is an extreme punishment. Furthermore, the owner could be denied from ever owning an intact animal again...
This legislation will not improve the lives of cats and dogs, will negatively impact responsible owners and breeders. Additionally, by placing additional burdens on owners of intact animals, this measure may lead to an increase of animals in shelters. Concentrating animal control efforts on dogs whose behavior demonstrates that they are a problem for the community, regardless of their reproductive status, would be a much better use of taxpayer funds.
Mike Kowal, Realtor
