Owners of Long Beach cats and dogs whose licenses have expired or who have never been licensed will have the opportunity to renew and have late-fee penalties waived if they apply by Sept. 30. On Sept. 8, the Long Beach City Council voted 8–0 on granting a one-time amnesty for licensing up until the Mandatory Spay/Neuter Ordinance goes into effect on Oct. 1.
The ordinance was brought forward by council members Suja Lowenthal (Second District), Stacy Mungo (Fifth District) and Al Austin (Eighth District).
“Councilmember Austin and I felt passionate that people who are currently following the rules should be given the opportunity to maintain that status,” Mungo said. “[We also] want to have a call to action that now at the end of the summer, it’s a good time to get your pet vaccinated and be in compliance with the rules.”
Dog licenses presently cost $20 for altered dogs and $95 for unaltered dogs. Cat licenses cost $10.
After Sept. 30, the prices will increase to $24 for altered dogs and $105 for unaltered, which will make up for any potential shortfalls due to lost revenue from unaltered licenses. Starting Oct. 1, violations will resume and are subject to increasing fines, starting at $100 and increasing to as much as $500.
“The goal of [the amnesty] is to give an opportunity to come into compliance with the licensing and to give people an incentive to get their animals licensed, “ said Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) Manager Ted Stevens. “It’s open to all animals—altered, unaltered, seniors—everyone.”
Pet licenses can be purchased and renewed in person, by mail or online. Any unaltered dog that has a valid license from ACS prior to October 1, 2015 is exempt from the mandatory spay/neuter law as long as the license is kept current.Dogs that may remain unaltered with a special license include:
- Those used by law enforcement agencies for enforcing law; by search-and-rescue agencies; as licensed guide dogs, hearing-assistance animals, seizure-alert animals and social and therapy animals approved by Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS); as a competition, herding or livestock animal; and any dog used as breeding stock for any of these types of dogs. Owners and guardians of these dogs must present proof of any of these conditions.
- A dog breed approved by and registered with a national or international breed registry. Owners must provide documentation.
- A dog that is unable to breed or has any medical issue, 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’s vet must be presented.
- Any pet in a shelter, humane society or a similar organization; however, the pet must be fixed before released for adoption.
Ownership of an unaltered cat over 4 months old in the City of Long Beach is illegal.
“The ordinance will be monitored the way we monitor licensing and rabies,” Stevens said. “As we make contact with animal owners during the course of the day, we will inquire about status and work to gain compliance.”
Accompanying the Mandatory Spay/Neuter Ordinance is the Pet Shop Ordinance, which prohibits the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits unless certain conditions are met. Backyard breeders are not exempt from this law.
Both ordinances were conceived as proactive steps toward further reducing both the number of unwanted pets in the community and shelter overpopulation.
“We want to encourage people to get their pets spayed or neutered, and we have information on our website about vouchers and other low-cost options available,” Stevens said.
ACS’s vouchers aid in lowering the cost of the procedures, and the low-cost area clinics are listed on its website. A clinic that was constructed on the shelter grounds through funds provided by Friends of Long Beach Animals will open in the future and will offer low-cost spay/neuter procedures to all pets two days a week, and Fix Long Beach offers free procedures to residents who meet certain qualifications, which are specified on their website.
Rabies shots are also required for cats and dogs in Long Beach. ACS lists low-cost shot clinics on its website, and low-cost clinics and free microchips are also available at Fix Long Beach’s clinics. Both options are available on a walk-in basis.
Public reaction to the amnesty ordinance has varied.
“Ideally, I would like to see all unaltered dogs that are not under the exemptions be neutered or spayed sooner rather than later to take them out of the accidental or irresponsible breeding pool as immediately as possible,” said resident Jonni Holloway. “However, there are a significant number of owners with unaltered dogs that got their pets before the new rules. It’s fair to allow them to grandfather in, and it’s preferable to having them give up their dog rather than pay to alter it. Maybe some will even actually weigh the yearly cost of an intact dog license against the one-time cost of altering and make the decision to alter. ”
One resident, who declined to be named, feels that the amnesty would enable an increased number of dog owners to allow their pets to remain unaltered and thus increase the number of unwanted, abandoned and euthanized dogs and cats.
However, requiring the licensing and inoculation of pets will help to keep the animal population healthy and will also serve as a way to keep track of all dogs both intact and altered.
“Encouraging pet licensing is always a worthy thing to do,” said Humane Educator Judy Crumpton. “It’s good for the safety of the pets and very helpful to the shelter.”
“This is the perfect time for pet owners to update and renew their license and take advantage of the late fee amnesty program,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Licensed pets are reunited faster and, in Long Beach, licensed pets are eligible for a free ride home the first time they are found.”
“Generally, or at least very often, people with a deep interest in animals are the best people around.”
~ Roger Caras, wildlife photographer and author