CVMA Letter to Veterinarians

 <http://www.petpac.net/cvma/#>

California Veterinary Medical Association


June 15, 2007

Dear CVMA Member:

In a sincere effort to reduce the hundreds of thousands of cats and dogs
euthanized in California shelters each year, the CVMA decided to co-sponsor
AB-1634 the California Healthy Pets Act. The CVMA has supported
overpopulation efforts for many years. The decision to sponsor this
legislation was heavily debated by the Board of Governors. The House of
Delegates studied this issue at their November meeting and recommended
uniform spay/neuter legislation across the state. We did not anticipate that
our position would divide the veterinary community, that breeder clients
would threaten to change veterinarians based on CVMA membership and demean
the character of our highly respected Association.

The opposition has spread misinformation regarding this legislation. We hope
you will read the bill and base your opinion on fact. AB-1634 can be found
on the CVMA website at cvma.net. We appreciate your concerns and opinions
and are working hard on amendments to address those issues.

The following changes are in the process of being inserted into AB-1634.

a.. Change the spay/neuter age to 6 months. Any veterinarian can provide a
letter exempting a dog or cat for an additional 3 months and may write a
second letter for an additional 3 month exemption (up to 1 year of age.)

b.. Add an exemption for any owner to purchase an intact permit that allows
them to own an intact dog or cat. Any dog or cat that qualifies under this
exemption would be limited to one litter per year.

c.. Allow any purebred dog or cat to qualify for an intact permit. The
current language requiring purebred dogs or cats to participate in a show or
competition, be in training to compete, or to have earned a title would be
removed.

d.. Add language that clearly states that veterinarians will not be required
to report the spay/neuter status of dogs and cats under their care, or
enforce the provisions of this bill.

These amendments assure that any owner of any mixed breed dog or cat can
keep their animal intact. Of course, the bill retains the language that
assures that veterinarians make all medical decisions. There is no
requirement for a veterinarian to perform the spay or neuter if he or she
believes that, due to age or any medical condition, the animal should not
undergo the surgical procedure. We think these amendments and this
legislation will greatly improve the effort to reduce pet overpopulation in
California.

We appreciate the phone calls, letters, and emails that you have sent
voicing your concerns. We apologize if you did not receive a response but
our resources are limited. We regret if this legislation has caused you any
inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Ron Faoro, DVM

President