As NRA-ILA has reported this session, Assembly Bill 1634 is a bill requiring that all dogs older than four months be spayed or neutered unless owners acquire an "intact permit" from their local government. Because of strong opposition from NRA members and many other sportsmen's organizations, the bill failed to garner enough support to pass the Senate Local Government Committee and was pulled from committee. The bill will not be reconsidered again before January 2008.
AB 1634 was being pushed by radical animal “rights” and anti-hunting organizations and was an affront to our hunting heritage and private property rights. Owners who planned to breed their dogs at some point during their lives would have been required to apply annually to their local government for an "intact" permit. Except under very limited circumstances, the local government official was empowered to deny issuance of an intact permit without cause. The cost of the annual permit was unspecified in the legislation and was to be determined by the local government. Penalty for non-compliance was specified as a $500 fine imposed by the state and any additional fines imposed by the local government.
This legislation threatened to keep hunters and other dog owners from making decisions based upon their own personal circumstances. It would have prevented 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 discriminated against hunters with limited budgets.
While this is a great win for freedom and sportsmen throughout the Golden State, the debate will continue in the future. Please continue to convey your opposition to this legislation to your legislators at every opportunity.
To find further contact information or help identifying your legislators
please use the "Write Your Representative" feature found at www.NRAILA.org.
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