FYI
How will AB 1634 work?
AB 1634 will require all dogs and cats in California to be spayed or neutered at 4 months of age unless they are registered purebreds and have special, government-issued permits.
How do I get a government permit to stop my dogs and cats from being sterilized?
You can only get a permit if you can prove you're a licensed breeder, or if your pet is a valid purebred and has been in at least one legitimate show or is in training.
A 4-month-old dog is too young to either compete OR be in training, yet those are the requirements under AB 1634 to get a permit?
Yes.
What about service dogs for the blind and disabled?
AB 1634 will require all potential service dogs to be sterilized at four months unless they have begun training — an impossible criteria to meet since training doesn't start until dogs reach maturity.
How about police and rescue dogs?
There is no such thing as a 4-month-old puppy who is either "being trained or... is actively used by law enforcement," yet that is what AB 1634 requires to avoid forced sterilization of dogs used for police work, search and rescue, and narcotic and bomb detection. Nearly all police dogs are unaltered males. Neutering their offspring will wipe out decades of established bloodlines in just one generation.
Will the passage of AB 1634 at least provide more low-cost spaying and neutering programs?
AB 1634 does not provide ANY state funds for programs that are proven to reduce shelter in-takes and euthanasia rates: pet-owner education and low-cost spaying and neutering programs.
Does any other state require all dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered?
No. The backers of AB 1634 continue to claim Rhode Island has such a law, but it does not apply to dogs.
Our 12-year-old family dog is a mutt, not a purebred. Will she have to be spayed?
Yes. All mixed breed dogs and cats over four months old must be spayed or neutered – or you'll be fined $500. If AB 1634 works as intended, all mixed breed dogs and domestic cats will be systematically eliminated from California.
I want to get my pet neutered, I just feel that four months is too soon. Can't I wait until he's older?
No. Under AB 1634, surgical sterilization will not be a decision made between you and your vet – it will be a government requirement.
I've been breeding dogs for 22 years. How will Assembly Bill 1634 affect me?
If you currently breed, show or sell dogs or cats in California, you will have to qualify and pay for a government permit or be forced to sterilize all your cats and/or dogs. Permits fees will be "determined by a local jurisdiction" and commonly start at $100-150 per animal, paid each year, but can go much higher.
More Information
AB 1122
Aug 13, 2009
Assembly Bill 1122
Aug 13, 2009
AB 1634 will require all dogs and cats in California be surgically sterilized at 4 months of age unless they are purebreds and can qualify for special, government-issued permits. Owners of unaltered dogs and cats will be fined $500 per pet and face possible criminal penalties.
