Mandatory Spay/Neuter Ordinance in Long Beach

On October 1st in the city of Long Beach, a mandatory spay/neuter (MSN) ordinance will go into effect for dogs. MSN law has been in effect for cats since 2010. The legislation was passed on March 17th, 2015, with a 7-1 vote. The MSN ordinance will require all dogs to be altered by six months of age and cats to be altered by four months. Responsible pet owners with unaltered pets will be grandfathered in if their dogs do not meet the exceptions until the current city license expires or the dog dies.

There are several exceptions to the ordinance, the full list may be found here. Exempt from MSN are working dogs, show dogs, and breeding dogs. Breeding dogs must be registered by a recognized breed registry. Show dogs that have not been shown will have 90 days to come into compliance. Dogs that are incapable of breeding or have medical concerns that render surgery unsafe are also exempt from the ordinance. In all cases owners are required to provide proof that their dog meets an exemption. Also exempt from MSN are dogs within a shelter environment though the dogs must be altered prior to adoption.

There was concern about the financial pressures this may put on low-income families. In order to relieve the financial burden placed on low income families vouchers will be given out to reduce the cost of surgery. Friends of Long Beach Animals is opening a low cost spay/neuter clinic and Fix Long Beach offers free surgeries to low income families.

Animal Care Services Shelter Manager, Ted Stevens, lists the following costs for the MSN ordinance:

• $50,000 for public education
• $30,000 for spay/neuter vouchers
• $21,000 for a part-time license inspector

In order to increase revenue annual license fees will be increased by $4-10.

The goals of the MSN ordinance are to decrease the pet population, decrease dog bite instances, and educate the public about their responsibilities as pet owners and on pet health. Stevens says, “it’s not a cure-all but another tool in our tool belt to help with fighting the pet-overpopulation problem”.

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