The compulsory neutering focus group is a fairly new UK group on Facebook and I was invited to join. They say:
‘We are getting together to petition the government for compulsory neutering for pet cats and dogs, compulsory microchipping for pet cats and dogs and compulsory breeding licences for breeders of cats and dogs’.
(For our friends abroad who use the terms spay/neuter, here in the UK the term neutering covers both sexes, spaying a female or castrating a male).
There are quite a number of Rescue Shelters involved in the group as well as people like me who care about the welfare of all animals.
This may be a good idea but I really can’t see the government passing a new law, animals come very low in priority on the present government’s agenda.
But there are situations where it would be very good news if there was such a law. If people have queens on heat they attract un-neutered tom cats from far and wide.
Cats can be a nuisance to a neighbourhood, even cat lovers must feel worried by the toms yowling their courting and fighting songs in the night. The cats mating instinct is very strong, it’s not their fault.
To people who don’t particularly like cats, it must be very irritating and this gets all cats a bad name.
Cats Protection would pay for people on low income to have their cats neutered but at present they can’t force people to accept their help. Do you think neutering should be compulsory? It would certainly solve the problem of so many unwanted kittens being born, but how could it be enforced?
This is a note from administration (Michael Broad). The author of this article requested that it be changed and for some comments to be deleted. She had good reason to make these requests. The article has been changed. I am in the process of removing some comments (completed). No further comments can be made.
For me, the page is poorer for these changes and I’m very sorry if anyone is upset. Sometimes these things happen. I try and comply with the requests of authors as best I can. Articles written by visitors to the site are very welcome and very important because they express personal opinions based upon first-hand experience, which is very valuable.
However, people who write articles for this website should make sure that they are able to deal with any reactions to the article which they might not like. When expressing one’s views on the Internet one invites a response. Authors should be aware that.
Good on you Cindy, but that just wouldn’t be possible here 🙁
I would like to read any updated articles on mandatory spay neuter. It has been a few years since I have read anything on MSN.
Any of the successful No Kill shelters in the U.S have not had MSN laws. They have provided low cost or no cost s/n. They set up a TNR program for the ferals. They get foster programs going, hold adoption events off site from the shelter, get a good volunteer base and work with local rescues.
I think with a punitive law that more of the lower income people are going to give up their pets which clogs up the shelters even more. Just my .02.
Hopefully someone on here has more up to date findings than I do.
I am making this brief and hope it makes sense. I am fixing to go to sleep because I am working graveyards and it is nearly noon here. I will be back on here tonight.
Studies have shown that mandatory and punitive spay neuter laws are ineffective. It is usually the lower income people that are not neutering their pets. I don’t remember the exact figures, but it was about 80% of the people that made $35,000 yr. and up have their pets fixed. The biggest issue is economics and all the city is going to do is issue more citations, pick up more animals which may make the kill rate higher.
Instead of shelter staff focusing on s/n I would rather see them use their resources on off site adoption events, TNR programs for ferals, no/low cost and high volume clinics. In Houston, Tx there is a serious stray/homeless problem. For example, we look like a third world country on the east side of town which is one of the poorest parts of town. Once again, I think it is economics that is driving part of the problem. So many of the poor are elated to get their pets fixed when we can get it done for no cost. If we penalize these people, there are going to be more pets abandoned on the streets. They won’t even be able to turn them into a shelter, because they will not be in compliance.
Backyard breeders will continue to fly under the radar, just like they do now. I don’t even see the law having an effect on them.
In a nutshell, I view it as the city penalizing the poor and have not see any studies where mandatory s/n made a difference in the kill rates at a shelter, such as TNR does.
It has been at least 4 or 5 years since I have read up on this. If anyone knows of any recent studies that show it is helping to lower kill rates I would love to read it. Please send me the link or where I need to check it out. Have a great day.
I am making this brief and hope it makes sense. I am fixing to go to sleep because I am working graveyards and it is nearly noon here. I will be back on here tonight.
Studies have shown that mandatory and punitive spay neuter laws are ineffective. It is usually the lower income people that are not neutering their pets. I don’t remember the exact figures, but it was about 80% of the people that made $35,000 yr. and up have their pets fixed. The biggest issue is economics and all the city is going to do is issue more citations, pick up more animals which may make the kill rate higher.
Instead of shelter staff focusing on s/n I would rather see them use their resources on off site adoption events, TNR programs for ferals, no/low cost and high volume clinics. In Houston, Tx there is a serious stray/homeless problem. For example, we look like a third world country on the east side of town which is one of the poorest parts of town. Once again, I think it is economics that is driving part of the problem. So many of the poor are elated to get their pets fixed when we can get it done for no cost. If we penalize these people, there are going to be more pets abandoned on the streets. They won’t even be able to turn them into a shelter, because they will not be in compliance.
Backyard breeders will continue to fly under the radar, just like they do now. I don’t even see the law having an effect on them.
In a nutshell, I view it as the city penalizing the poor and have not see any studies where mandatory s/n made a difference in the kill rates at a shelter, such as TNR does.
Does this make sense? Have a great day.
You are right Barbara, as always it’s people causing the problem and animals paying the price.
Maybe it should be mandatory for idiot humans to be neutered.
Cats (and dogs) should be licenced in my opinion so that there is a database of everyone who has a cat or cats in their care, in an ideal world everyone would then be required to produce proof of neutering their animal or have to pay a higher licence fee to be allowed to breed the animals. Sounds harsh? Well so is life for animals that are neglected and allowed to breed/interbreed indiscriminately with multiple toms with God knows what illnesses or diseases, if people weren’t so ignorant and uncaring we wouldn’t be shouting about mandatory neutering but as we’ve witnesses so many times in our lives people ARE ignorant and stupid and irresponsible and unbelievably they actually need laws to make them do the right thing by their animals.