Proposed Curb on Breeding of Pets Debated

SYLMAR — A highly polarized crowd of about 200 animal lovers attended a meeting Tuesday night of the Los Angeles Animal Regulation Commission, debating a controversial proposal to curtail animal breeding.

Addressing the panel, speakers from the two factions could agree on only one thing: The city is overrun with homeless and unwanted animals.

The issue has pitted animal rights and rescue groups against breeders and owners of purebred pets. While some animal-issue groups, such as the American Humane Assn., remain neutral on the proposed law, few involved have remained unemotional.

“It’s beginning to be a personal thing: ‘We’re right and you’re wrong,’ ” said Mary Di Blasi, a legislative advocate for two groups representing breeders, who predicted crowds will continue to turn out at hearings. “It’s their passion, their sport and their animals, and they’re going to come.”

Dan Knapp, general manager of the city’s Animal Services department, called the proposed ordinance “a lightning rod. It’s meant to be a lightning rod.”

An advocate of a no-kill policy at city shelters who assumed his post last year, Knapp told the audience the city is determined to cope with the overpopulation problem.

He said the Centers for Disease Control has warned that dog bites are the nation’s No. 1 safety risk for children. In many areas of the city, Knapp said, people are afraid to go out at night for fear of running into packs of stray dogs.

The controversial proposed ordinance would make it illegal to own a dog or cat that has not been sterilized, unless the owner pays hundreds of dollars for a license and permit. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and face penalties, including jail and stiff fines.

Debate over the issue has raged for months, focusing a national spotlight on Los Angeles’ struggle to deal with one of the worst pet overpopulation problems in the country. The hearing, held at Mission College, was the third on the topic.

Krista Fowler of Mission Hills, who works at an animal shelter in South Los Angeles, pleaded with the audience to work together to resolve the issue.

“This has turned into a purebred versus mixed-breed thing,” she said. “It’s not about that. It’s about preventing homeless animals from being born in the first place.”

Breeders complained that restrictions in the ordinance, such as limiting litters to one a year, would put them out of business. “It’s going to kill my hobby,” said Joe Berger, a Valley Village resident who has bred Rhodesian ridgebacks for 35 years.

Rescuers argued that abandoned and unwanted purebreds--not just free-breeding wild packs--constitute a significant portion of the overpopulation problem. As proof, representatives of a coalition of rescue groups paraded what they said were unwanted purebreds they had rescued.

Some people at the hearing wore red stickers on their clothing: “Spay is the Way.” Others carried white placards with an octagonal “Stop” sign and the silhouette of a cat, and the words “Stop Tax on Pets.”

Teri Austin, president of Amanda Foundation, which supports the strict ordinance, said the proposed crackdown has drawn such keen interest because of its potential effects nationally.

“There are a lot of people out there who are afraid that if it passes in L.A., it will pass across the country,” she said.

Additional hearings are scheduled for Sept. 22 at the Cheviot Hills Recreation Center, 2551 Motor Ave., West Los Angeles, and Sept. 29 at the Performing Arts Center at Cal State Northridge. Both will run from 5 to 9 p.m.