{"id":2697,"date":"2015-04-06T05:31:41","date_gmt":"2015-04-06T05:31:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lbpost.com\/articles\/life\/pets\/mandatory-spay-neuter-ordinance-what-to-expect-oct-1-2\/"},"modified":"2015-04-06T05:31:41","modified_gmt":"2015-04-06T05:31:41","slug":"mandatory-spay-neuter-ordinance-what-to-expect-oct-1-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/pets\/mandatory-spay-neuter-ordinance-what-to-expect-oct-1-2","title":{"rendered":"Mandatory Spay\/Neuter Ordinance: What to Expect October 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Full disclosure: I\u2019ve spoken and previously written in support of the ordinance; this article is intended to explain the details of the ordinance and give an idea of how the meeting went. There has been some confusion and misunderstanding as to the details of the MSN ordinance, which does exempt registered purebreds and working dogs and also gives a medical exemption. Links to the videos have been provided below, and I encourage you to watch them.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ordinance details<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On March 17, the city council passed some controversial and detailed pet-related legislation. The Mandatory Spay\/Neuter (MSN) and Pet Shop ordinances were added to the Long Beach Municipal code with a city council vote of 7\u20131, with 8<sup>th<\/sup> District councilmember Al Austin casting the single no vote. The March 10 meeting to declare amended language for the ordinances was passed with a 6-0 vote, with councilmembers Lena Gonzalez (District 1) and Roberto Uranga (District 7) absent. The March 10 meeting <a href=\"http:\/\/longbeach.granicus.com\/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=12&amp;clip_id=7697&amp;meta_id=559981\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">can be viewed here<\/a>; March 17 <a href=\"http:\/\/longbeach.granicus.com\/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=12&amp;clip_id=7707\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">may be seen here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The ordinances amend Section 6.16.085 of the city\u2019s municipal code, adding unaltered dogs to the prohibition of unaltered cats, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longbeach.gov\/acs\/pet_laws\/cats_spayed_or_neutered.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">which has been in place since 2010<\/a>, and Section 6.16.062, which regulates animal sales. Both ordinances were spearheaded by humane educator and animal advocate Judy Crumpton and drafted by councilmembers Suja Lowenthal (Vice Mayor and District 2), Suzie Price (District 3) and Stacy Mungo (District 5).<\/p>\n<p>MSN has been a far bigger bone, so to speak, of contention than the Pet Shop Ordinance, which most of the speakers at the meeting expressed approval for. MSN is directed not at licensed breeders but city residents who allow their dogs to breed either for profit or through neglect or unawareness of low-cost or free options for spay\/neuter procedures. It was conceived\u2014again, so to speak\u2014for the purpose of curbing shelter overpopulation, promoting pet health, decreasing dog bites and educating the public about their responsibility as pet owners.<\/p>\n<p>The Pet Shop Ordinance was put into place to promote adoption as an alternative and also to help put an end to the millions of dogs bred in unhealthy conditions in puppy mills in different areas of the country.<\/p>\n<p>Both ordinances will go into effect <strong>October 1.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There has been some misunderstanding about the ordinances, particularly MSN, so they\u2019re detailed here.<\/p>\n<p>The Pet Shop Ordinance prohibits the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits unless the following conditions are met:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A <strong>breeding and a transfer permit<\/strong> is obtained by the pet\u2019s owner (this applies to dogs only; unaltered cats wouldn\u2019t be subject to it because their breeding is not permitted, and there aren\u2019t as yet any specifications for rabbits).<\/li>\n<li>A <strong>rescue or other approved nonprofit<\/strong> that may charge an adoption fee is housing the pet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A shop that sells animal supplies has dedicated space<\/strong> to house adoptive pets, which Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) has released to them. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.adoptandshop.org\/lakewood-pet-store\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Adopt and Shop in Lakewood<\/a>&nbsp;and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PawShoppe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paw Shoppe Pet Center<\/a>&nbsp;on Spring Street in Long Beach are two such locations)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 0in;\">In each case, a certificate of source must be posted in a conspicuous place or three feet from the animal\u2019s cage.<\/p>\n<p>MSN requires that <strong>all dogs at 6 months old and cats at 4 months<\/strong> be altered (again, there were not yet any specifications for rabbits), with these exceptions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Those used by <strong>law enforcement agencies<\/strong> for enforcing law; by <strong>search-and-rescue<\/strong> agencies; as <strong>licensed guide dogs, hearing-assistance animals, seizure-alert animals and social and therapy animals approved by Long Beach Animal Care Services<\/strong> (ACS); as a <strong>competition, herding or livestock animal<\/strong>; and <strong>any dog used as breeding stock for any of these types of dogs<\/strong>. Owners and guardians of these dogs <strong>must present proof<\/strong> of any of these conditions.<\/li>\n<li>A <strong>dog breed approved by and registered<\/strong> with a national or international breed registry. Owners must provide documentation.<\/li>\n<li>A dog that is <strong>unable to breed or has any medical issue<\/strong>, temporary or otherwise, that would render a spay\/neuter procedure medically unsafe for the pet, for example, a large-breed dog that may suffer hip dysplasia if altered before maturing. In any of these instances, specific certification from the dog\u2019s vet must be presented.<\/li>\n<li>Any pet in a <strong>shelter, humane society or a similar organization<\/strong>; however, <strong>the pet must be fixed before released for adoption<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are currently around 3,000 dogs in Long Beach that have unaltered pet licenses, which costs $95 as opposed to $20 for altered dogs. At the March 10 meeting, Councilmember Stacy Mungo brought forth a friendly amendment to the MSN Ordinance that grandfathers in responsible pet owners who possess non-medically related unaltered-dog licenses until that license expires or the dog passes away. This would address the $187,000 in lost revenue from the more costly intact license as well as to acknowledge pet owners who showed responsibility in getting unaltered licenses. Any animals brought into the home after Oct. 1 would have to be fixed, as would any intact dog found roaming by ACS. The amendment was accepted by Vice Mayor Lowenthal.<\/p>\n<p>The full text of both ordinances <a href=\"http:\/\/longbeach.legistar.com\/View.ashx?M=F&amp;ID=3663100&amp;GUID=4542411E-901D-49CB-A7CA-498D54B131C7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">can be read here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Shelter presentation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The previous year\u2019s shelter euthanasia numbers have decreased\u20144,054 in 2014, which is 1,100 less than 2013 and almost half of what it was seven years ago. This indicates the significant work done by animal advocates and ACS staff and the responsiveness of residents to provided education and resources, but proponents of MSN believe that the number is 4,054 too many.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile I believe that we must do what we can to continue to educate, there comes a time when we have to stand up and do what is remaining, and this is what is remaining\u2014the balance that we cannot capture with education,\u201d Lowenthal said.<\/p>\n<p>During the March 10 meeting, ACS shelter manager Ted Stevens gave a PowerPoint presentation detailing the ordinances and addressed some concerns. Benefits include public safety\u2014altered dogs are less likely to bite, advantages for pet health far outweighs the risks, and spayed and neutered animals can have a longer lifespan than intact ones have. Stevens cited almost 14 percent for male dogs and almost 30 percent for female. To respond to concerns from Councilmember Austin and residents concerned that pet owners would give up their dogs to shelters if they were forced to alter them, Stevens quoted material from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.avma.org\/public\/PetCare\/Pages\/spay-neuter.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">American Veterinary Medical Association<\/a> (AVMA)&nbsp;that stated that owners instead gave up their dogs to shelters because of behaviors that unaltered dogs exhibit including roaming, heat cycles and aggression. Spaying and neutering, the AVMA stated, has no effect on a pet\u2019s intelligence and improves behavior as well.<\/p>\n<p>Stevens said that the cost of implementation would comprise $5,000 for public education, $30,000 for additional vouchers and $21,000 for a part-time license inspector who would work with enforcement. He noted the potential for lost revenue, which would have included the $187,500 from the defunct unaltered licenses that Councilmember Mungo had addressed with the friendly amendment. Stevens said that shortfalls would be made up through annual license-fee increases of $4 through $10, depending on the license. Cat licenses would remain at $10.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding the exemptions, Stevens said that a registered or certified dog doesn\u2019t need to be participating in a show or competition to be exempt and that there would be a 90-day grace period to give owners time to come into compliance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not a cure-all but another tool in our tool belt to help with fighting the pet-overpopulation problem,\u201d Stevens said.<\/p>\n<p>Councilmember Austin sympathized with proponents and expressed approval of the Pet Shop Ordinance. However, he felt that because ACS is under the umbrella of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine, which has undergone a number of cuts, the ordinance would be too expensive even with the friendly amendment and license-fee increase.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe study session that we had last week paints a very dim picture of the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Austin also said that the word <i>mandatory <\/i>is intrusive and felt that the ordinance would put a financial burden on low-income families. Stevens responded that vouchers for low-cost spay neuter would reduce the expense and that a low-cost clinic was about to be installed by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.folba.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Friends of Long Beach Animals<\/a>&nbsp;volunteers. Furthermore, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fixlongbeach.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fix Long Beach<\/a>, another Long Beach volunteer organization, offers free spay\/neuter procedures to low-income residents through mobile clinics.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-27153\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/FOLBA.jpg\" alt=\"FOLBA\" width=\"640\" height=\"301\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-36526\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/fliers-for-Fix.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"494\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Public comment<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Emotions ran high at both meetings during public comment. The March 10 meeting brought a throng of supporters, most bearing signs that read \u201cKeep Long Beach litter free,\u201d with a smaller group holding placards saying \u201cVoluntary, not mandatory\u2014MSN.\u201d The group in support of the MSN ordinance consisted of animal rescuers, ACS staff and citizens from the community who were concerned about the number of strays roaming the city and fill the shelters, whether through backyard breeding or otherwise. Rescuers and advocates spoke of the frustration they felt at their rescues being overwhelmed and the exhaustion and fatigue experienced in rescue and advocacy. One speaker, who said she wasn\u2019t affiliated with any animal-advocacy organization, emotionally pled for the council\u2019s approval of the ordinance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI regularly find non-spayed, non-neutered, haggard because they\u2019ve been bred too often, recently pregnant, still-nursing dogs on the street,\u201d she said. \u201cI find them so often that I have to carry a leash and treats with me so that I can help pull them out of traffic.\u201d The speaker said that finding no-kill shelters to help is often impossible because they\u2019re usually full, so she ultimately calls ACS.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know that that will probably be a death sentence for that dog, especially if it\u2019s a little tan Chihuahua,\u201d she said. Chihuahuas, along with pit bulls and mixes of these breeds, are the types of dogs most frequently sent to shelters and euthanized.<\/p>\n<p>MSN opponents who spoke at the meeting owned purebred dogs, were licensed breeders and American Kennel Club (AKC) members, or both. They cited the expense and difficulty it took to obtain breeding permits, which are provided through ACS and cost $515 in fees; expressed doubts of the ordinance\u2019s effectiveness and concern over its cost; and saw more work for the already overextended shelter staff.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have one of the 3,000 intact-licensed dogs in the city of Long Beach. I also have two spayed dogs,\u201d said Judith McMahon, one of the residents who had contacted the City Council with a packet with materials expressing opposition to MSN. \u201cWe all believe in voluntary spay\/neuter, and we\u2019re willing to help you do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>McMahon said that the city had the support of the dog community and that she and her colleagues have been looking into grants for raising money to improve the voluntary spay\/neuter program, which she praised. She urged the council to vote the proposal down. \u201cHowever, if you\u2019re reluctant to do that, I suggest that you create a group to study this issue in full and let the stakeholders be involved\u2014the people who know animals,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Judy Crumpton read a letter from Melanie Sobel, the general manager of Santa Cruz\u2019s animal shelter, that Crumpton had e-mailed with related statistics from that shelter to the mayor and council. The letter laid out its success with MSN over the years, even in the face of the recession, general population growth and the addition of an underserved area to its service area. Part of the letter addressed the AKC\u2019s misrepresentation of Santa Cruz\u2019s success: \u201cThe AKC states that the shelter\u2019s euthanasia rates have been essentially flat since 1995. As the attached statistics demonstrate, this is incorrect. Both our animal intake and euthanasia rates have steadily decreased since 1994, the year our spay\/neuter ordinance was enacted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe only way that we are going to put a dent in overpopulation is prevention,\u201d Crumpton said. \u201cCan we please give it a try?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connie Koehler, president of the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of Southern California and the AKC legislative liaison for the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America disagreed with Crumpton, calling the ordinance bad public policy for the community. \u201cBased on the extensive research my team has done, we will show you the devilish details that Councilmember Austin referred to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Koehler said that the statistics that the AKC used came not from the Santa Cruz shelter but from the California Department of Public Health\u2019s veterinary medical section and the Rabies Control annual activity report of 2013. She also cited a drop in licensing dogs in communities that implemented MSN and increased costs for shelter operation around the country.<\/p>\n<p>Carrie DeYoung, AKC\u2019s director of agility, also took issue with the Santa Cruz shelter\u2019s statements. She stated that AKC had made no statements whatsoever about the shelter\u2019s euthanasia and licensing rates. DeYoung, an owner of both show dogs and altered rescue dogs, stated that if she believed that MSN would improve the lives of dogs and owners, the group of people objecting wouldn\u2019t have come to speak.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe truth is that these laws decrease the opportunity for pet owners to find a healthy, well-bred pet in their community and they hurt responsible breeders who are doing things the right way,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>DeYoung also said that the AKC would pull out of Long Beach for future shows.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs you know, the AKC held its Eukanuba championship here, and we brought about $21 million to the city of Long Beach,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019d like to consider coming back to Long Beach, but we can\u2019t do this with this type of restriction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was later learned that AKC had booked the convention center in Orlando for its next championship show before the ordinances had been brought to the table and in fact has been booked in Orlando for the past five years. According to a Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau officer, the AKC stated that they\u2019d outgrown Long Beach\u2019s facilities and were looking elsewhere. Furthermore, Jack Smith, president of the Long Beach Kennel Club (LBKC), noted that the shelter has always been responsive to his organization, the AKC and the other canine support groups; he stated that the LBKC has no plans of leaving anytime soon with their shows.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The principle behind the ordinance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Louise DuBois, an animal control professional since 1980 who began her career in Long Beach, called the ordinance a valuable tool for ACS. \u201cI want to talk about our shelter and how proud we are of our euthanasia rate\u2019s decrease,\u201d she said. \u201cWe see our impounds going down, but it\u2019s still a tool our officers need, and they need it badly. Take a walk through our kennels and see the Chihuahuas, and see the pit bulls. The majority come in intact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>DuBois stressed the free and low-cost options for spay\/neuter and inoculations that exist within the city and said that she wanted ACS to be visible and available to the people who want to comply but can\u2019t afford it. But those who won\u2019t do it are the challenge and the reason for the law.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are the people who do not want to spay or neuter their pets because they feel that it\u2019s their right to have an unaltered pet,\u201d she said. She gave as example a man she met on a call who was \u201cso proud because his female pit bull just had 15 puppies.\u201d The man had intentionally bred the dog and had made T-shirts of both his dog and her mate for his children to wear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI definitely tried to help him with education, but he needed enforcement. And the enforcement tool is mandatory spay\/neuter,\u201d DuBois said.<\/p>\n<p>At the March 10 meeting, Stevens quoted an AVMA estimate of the number of dogs in Long Beach as 102,000. There are 35,000 of them licensed, including those with intact licenses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s one-third of the dogs that are registered, and 10 times the intact dogs are spayed or neutered,\u201d Councilmember Austin said. \u201cWe should be giving ourselves a hand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But if you\u2019re going to do the math, do all the math. The 67,000-some dogs that aren\u2019t registered and continue to run around and breed under the radar, and not registered breeders, are the focus of the MSN ordinance. Long Beach has resources to help fix and inoculate dogs and cats whose owners can\u2019t afford it: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fixlongbeach.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fix Long Beach<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.folba.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Friends of Long Beach Animals<\/a>&nbsp;and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longbeach.gov\/acs\/programs\/spay_n_neuter_programs\/default.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Long Beach Animal Care Services<\/a>&nbsp;(see Pet Projects for the low-cost inoculation clinics) all can help.<\/p>\n<p>The MSN ordinance has been voted in and will be in place in a few months. Whether it\u2019s effective will be up to the stakeholders. The city\u2019s pets can use all the help they can get.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\" align=\"right\"><i>&#8220;Love of animals is a universal impulse, a common ground on which all of us may meet. By loving and understanding animals, perhaps we humans shall come to understand each other.&#8221;<br \/><\/i><i>~ Dr. Louis J. Camuti, first veterinarian to devote his entire practice to cats<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Virtually Pets<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Shelter adoption is one way to lower euthanasia numbers, but there\u2019s this personal thing there, too. You get at least one friend out of it, and at least one friend gets you. Here are a couple of likely candidates. Make sure that you enter through the shelter side at the P. D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 E. Spring St. Drive into El Dorado Park and tell the person in the little booth that you\u2019re going to Animal Care Services.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-36530\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Mary.jpg\" alt=\"Mary\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-36533\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Sylar.jpg\" alt=\"Sylar\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Sylar and Mary<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sylar, 5 years old, is a sweet seal-point Siamese neutered boy who was surrendered by his owner to the shelter. He\u2019s a big fellow at 16 pounds and has an unlimited quantity of love to give.<\/p>\n<p>Sylar has an unaltered sister, Mary, who\u2019s also 5 and a hefty kitty at 25 pounds! She will be altered before leaving the shelter. What could please more than two Siamese? Ask for ID#A544057 for Sylar and ID# A544056 for Mary.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-36523\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Chops.jpg\" alt=\"Chops\" width=\"640\" height=\"422\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Chops<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Not to bust your chops, but you gotta meet Chops! Chops is a brown-and-white 3-year-old male American Staffordshire with a Gorbachev splotch on his forehead. He\u2019s on the small side, but he makes up for it in playfulness and goofiness! Ask for ID#A542055.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pet Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Friends of Long Beach Animals Humane Education Program, Free, Ongoing<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.folba.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Friends of Long Beach Animals<\/a>&nbsp;stands by its word when it says it actively supports teaching children kindness to and respect for animals. FOLBA has provided several copies of humane books to all of the libraries in the Long Beach Unified School District, all the Public Libraries in Long Beach and Signal Hill, as well as to Raising-a-Reader and to Mary Bethune Transitional Center (assisting homeless children who need reading improvement so they can attend regular LBUSD classes). This interactive humane education program is free to all schools in the Long Beach Unified School District, Girl and Boy Scout Troops, Long Beach Parks and Libraries and Community Groups. Basic elements of the program are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Humane treatment of all living creatures<\/li>\n<li>Basic pet care<\/li>\n<li>Proper behavior around animals<\/li>\n<li>Responsibilities and rewards of pet ownership<\/li>\n<li>Handouts and study materials<\/li>\n<li>Follow-up activities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For information, contact: FRIENDS\u2019 Office 562-988-7647 or Deborah Turner 562-985-3459<\/p>\n<p><strong>Monthly Mutt Mingles, Pussy &amp; Pooch Pethouse and PawBar, 4818 E. 2nd Street, Long Beach, third Wednesday of every month; and 222 E. Broadway, third Thursday of every month, 6\u20138PM<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Join P&amp;P for their&nbsp;monthly mixer, and enjoy special treats, toasts, and plenty of in-store tail-wagging. Mutt Mingles are a great way for your dog to learn valuable social skills. It\u2019s a chance for them to experience and interact in a social setting with food, drink and plenty of other distractions! It\u2019s important for your dog to learn how to behave around other dogs and people so that they\u2019ll be the stars of the dog park and the dog beach. The indoor facility provides for a very comfortable setting and fun atmosphere. Dogs may be off-leash if supervised closely by their owners. For their protection, we lock the front door so dogs are safe from the street traffic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wine &amp; Whiskers, Sunday, April 12, District Wine, 144 Linden Ave., Long Beach, 1\u20134 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Help <a href=\"http:\/\/www.straycatalliance.org\/events\/wine-n-whiskers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stray Cat Alliance<\/a>&nbsp;build a no-kill nation one stray at a time! Tickets are $35 on the website (click above link) and entitle the bearer to vegan appetizers, great wine, raffle prizes and the knowledge that there will be fewer unwanted kittens and more cared-for cats because of you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Boutique for Paws, April 19, 11355 Mantinicus Ct., Cypress, noon\u20134<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Long Beach Dog Walker Volunteers and Sparky and the Gang are proud to host a spring boutique in support of West Coast Animal Rescue\/Sparky and the Gang! Free admission; enjoy shopping, prizes, raffles and fun. Click on our link to see the wonderful dogs we\u2019ve helped. For more information or to become a vendor at this event, please e-mail <a href=\"mailto:nkolivares@gmail.com\">nkolivares@gmail.com<\/a> or <a href=\"mailto:pam@coreessencewellness.com.\">pam@coreessencewellness.com.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Low-Cost Pet Vaccination Clinics, Saturday, May 2, Ramona Park, 3301 E. Spring St., Long Beach, 1:30\u20133 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pet owners must be 18 years or older. All pets must be on leashes or in carriers. Only healthy and non-pregnant animals will be vaccinated. If you have a prior rabies vaccine certificate, license tag or license renewal notice for your pet, please bring it with you to the clinic.&nbsp;Vaccination and microchip services are provided for pets residing in any city. Licensing service is provided for residents within our jurisdiction: Long Beach, Signal Hill, Cerritos, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach.&nbsp;For more service information and pricing, please visit&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.scvvc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Southern California Veterinary Vaccine Clinics<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On March 17, the city council passed some controversial and detailed pet-related legislation. 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