California: Senator Simitian to Hold Public Meeting on Mandatory Spay or Neuter Bill!

Senator Joe Simitian will hold a public hearing in his district on Saturday, June 23 to hear from citizens regarding AB 1634, legislation requiring that all dogs be spayed or neutered unless owners acquire an "intact permit" from their local government.  The Senator is a member of the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee that will be hearing this bill in the coming weeks.

AB 1634 is being pushed by radical “animal rights” and anti-hunting organizations and is an affront to our hunting heritage and private property rights.  Owners hoping to breed their dogs at some point during their lives would be required to apply annually to their local government for an "intact" permit. Except under very limited circumstances, the local government official has the power to deny issuance of an intact permit without cause. The cost of the annual permit is unspecified in the legislation and is to be determined by the local government. Penalty for non-compliance is a $500 fine imposed by the state and any additional fines imposed by the local government.

This legislation threatens to keep hunters and other dog owners from making decisions based upon their own personal circumstances. It will prevent hunters from continuing the tradition of occasionally breeding their favorite dog in order to provide other hunters with good dogs and defray some of the costs associated with caring for their animals. From a financial perspective, the bill discriminates against hunters with limited budgets. 

Please attend the public hearing and register your strong opposition to this overreaching legislation.  The bill passed the State Assembly by a single vote and the Senate vote promises to be close also.

Saturday, June 23,
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Palo Alto City Hall Council Chambers
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA

 To RSVP or to get further information, please call Senator Simitian's Palo Alto district office at (650) 688-6384.

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please use the "Write Your Representative" feature found at www.NRAILA.org.