In this episode of LA LAW: Spay or Neuter Your Pet!

Upwards of 70,000 dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the Los Angeles City Shelters alone (that figure does not include all other surrounding LA County shelters) - at an annual cost to the city of approximately $2million. Late last month, LA took a step towards reducing those numbers when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed into law a requirement for all cats and dogs* in LA to be sterilized by the time they're four months old. Failure to comply can result in fines of up to $500 or 40 hours of community service.

LA isn't the first city to take this step. In fact, a statewide bill called California Healthy Pets Act (AB1634) was proposed and approved in the State Assembly in June last year. These measures are intended to reduce the $250 million spent by California taxpayers each year to put down half a million unwanted animals. Los Angeles follows in the steps of Santa Cruz County, who became one of the first counties in California to mandate spaying and neutering of pets a dozen years ago. According to officials, this has increased adoption rates because there fewer strays and unwanted litters has eased overcrowding in shelters, meaning animals can be sheltered longer thereby increasing their chances of finding a home.

Other cities and counties around the country have adopted similar measures - San Francisco has significantly reduced the number of pit bull terriers and pit bull mixes abandoned and euthanized in their city after the city implemented a law that requires pit bulls to be sterilized. Palm Beach County in Florida also recently enacted a "spay or pay" mandatory sterilization law to reduce the number of animals being euthanized due to overcrowding in the tri-county area shelters.

Across the nation in the last year, over 32 counties or cities have considered compulsory spay/neuter ordinances, while 4 states considered state-wide mandatory sterilization laws. None passed at the State level, but similar legislation is expected to go before those 4 states again soon.

Mandatory sterilization is a controversial topic, with breeders baulking at increased regulation and some pet owners bristling at being forced to be responsible. But as we pointed out in a recent post encouraging pet sterilization - the numbers stack up: three to four million animals are being euthanized across this country every year, unnecessarily and at great cost to the tax payer. Compulsory pet sterilization laws may just reduce those numbers and make it easier for pets in shelters to find homes.

* Obviously there are some exemptions to these laws: for example, animals that have competed in shows or competitions, guide dogs, animals used by police agencies and those belonging to professional breeders would be exempt from these requirements.