Bob Barker lobbies for a spay/neuter law in Chicago

From the Chicago Tribune:

Former game show host Bob Barker wants the Chicago City Council to support a cause he famously ended "The Price of Right" with for decades: getting pets spayed and neutered.

Chicago is considering a proposal to require all dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered by the time they're 6 months old.

Barker told the council Tuesday the measure would reduce the number of unwanted pets. He says a similar law in Santa Cruz County, California, caused a 60 percent drop in cats and dogs placed in shelters in the following decade.

Those against the proposal say animal owners should decide whether to get their pets fixed.

Comments

[Rochelle]

I fee it is not appropriate to let people have the decision as to whether they will have their pet desexed. It should be compulsory unless you are a breeder and have a breeding permit. To gain a breeding permit, you must be able to demonstrate that you know vast amounts about the breed you are breeding, you know about the perils of breeding them, you have the finances to support your venture, and you have a good relationship with your veterinary clinic. If people want moggies, get them from shelters and if they start to run low, let the shelters breed them! People have already proven how our society is under resourced in caring for these unwanted pets, let's use this opportunity to correct our previous mistakes.

[Brien Comerford]

Both major Chicago Newspapers had editiorials against the spay neuter law. The Humane Society of the United States and Paws Chicago supported it. I have much more faith in the latter organizations than Chicago's newspapers.