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NEW! October 1, 1011 Pet Owners Seek Blessings for Creatures Large and Small St. Stephen Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi with a blessing of animals Sunday. By D'Ann White Mary Anne Peters figured that that Ollie was overdue for a blessing. A yellow cockatiel, Ollie was a recent gift from a customer to Peters' roommate. But the bird was in tough shape, missing all of the feathers on the top of his head and chest. So Peters placed the bird and cage in her car, along with her boxer, and headed to her church Oct. 2 to have both bird and dog blessed in what has become an annual Blessing of the Animals at St. Stephen Catholic Church, 5049 Bell Shoals Rd., Valrico. For More, Click Here Top 10 $1,000 dog health insurance claims Updated: Sep 26, 2011 1:29 PM PDT By Jennifer Viegas From The Dog Daily Few of us consider that treatment for a single pet health incident or condition can cost $1,000 or more -- a reason many dog owners give for surrendering their pets to shelters. A recent survey from Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, identified the top 10 most common claims that cost $1,000 or more. They are: Torn knee ligament/cartilage Foreign object in the intestine For More, Click Here Dog Thefts Up 67% This Year Dog thefts on the rise. A crappy economy and chronic unemployment have prompted people to do some shady things for cash, but stealing someone’s pet for resale has to be one of the meanest. Unfortunately, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC), dog thefts are on the rise, up approximately 67 percent from last year. For More, Click Here March 7, 2011 (AP) California ferret owners want their pets legalized By TERENCE CHEA Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. By TERENCE CHEA Associated Press California's ferret owners are tired of being criminals. They live in the only U.S. state besides Hawaii that bans residents from keeping ferrets as pets, forcing an untold number of Californians to keep their beloved weasels hidden from the public. For More, Click Here 22nd Annual America's Family Pet Expo Facilitates the Adoption of 682 Animals From Southern California Shelters and Rescue Organizations World's Largest Consumer Pet Show Celebrates an Increased Number of Pet Adoptions MONROVIA, Calif., April 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The 22nd annual America's Family Pet Expo, hosted by the World Pet Association (WPA), returned to the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., April 15-17. The pet expo featured stage shows, educational experiences with more than 1,000 animals, shopping, pet experts and family-friendly entertainment. Click Here to Read More Solvang, CA 4/6/2011 The Solvang City Council has renewed the city’s animal control contract with Santa Barbara County but postponed a decision on adopting the county’s spay and neuter ordinance. Read the story Here Spay-neuter ordinance moves forward By Julian J. Ramos/Staff Writer Santa Ynez Valley News Posted: Thursday, March 17, 2011 12:00 am A spay-neuter ordinance asking pet owners to be responsible for their dog or cat is a step closer to becoming part of the Buellton city code. Click Here to read more Possible program for dog safety Local non-profits hope to implement program over breed-specific laws By Bridget Jones, Journal staff writer A new program hopes to be an alternative to breed-specific legislation in Auburn. Safety First, a program being organized by several local non profit groups and American Kennel Clubs, would provide community outreach in the form of low-cost spay and neuter clinics, training clinics and educational campaigns, said Lynn Howe, of the A New Hope Animal Foundation and head of volunteers for Placer County Animal Services. Click Here for More information Rescue groups gain edge in picking prime pups BY JAMES BURGER, Californian staff writer Click Here for the Full story After dark, the dirty work at Disneyland begins Park workers have also found a resourceful way to remove other unwanted guests — rodents. Years ago — no one seems to know when — feral cats began to sneak into the park, living among the park's trees and shrubs during the day. At night, they venture out, and an estimated 200 cats now prowl through Disneyland and neighboring California Adventure Park. Click Here for the Full story Groups allege HSUS fraud HSUS leader defends group's lobbying efforts, tax-deductible status Santa Cruz to repeal 34-year-old dog ban? Associated Press - March 16, 2010 7:44 PM ET SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) - A merchants group wants Santa Cruz to repeal its 34-year-old ban on dogs downtown. Click Here to read more SACRAMENTO - January 25, 2010 Ma Introduces Consumer Protection Bill to Address Problem of Animal Fur Sold as Fake Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) introduced Assembly Bill 1656, a measure to protect a consumer´s right to know by requiring all garments sold in California that are made of animal fur to say so on the label. Ma´s bill comes after investigations in the Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento areas found unlabeled fur jackets for sale at well-known stores, in several instances being described by the salespeople as fake fur For More information click Here BR> LONG BEACH - Animal Control Looks To Volunteers Article by Darcy Leigh Richardson In an effort to be proactive in terms of animal overpopulation and subsequent animal euthanasia in Long Beach, the Department of Animal Care Services (ACS) is sending out a call for volunteers. However, instead of needing more volunteers at the spcaLA animal shelter (which shares the building with Animal Care Services at 7700 E. Spring St.), ACS officials say volunteers are needed in the city’s neighborhoods to raise awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering pets (especially cats since it is mandatory for felines), mandatory dog licensing, and the city’s spay/neuter voucher program. For More information click Here BR> Groups allege HSUS fraud HSUS leader defends group's lobbying efforts, tax-deductible status By Wes Sander - Capital Press An animal-owners organization is hoping to persuade the Internal Revenue Service to investigate whether political lobbying by the Humane Society of the United States is illegal. HSUS's lobbying on national and state levels likely surpasses the boundaries set by its nonprofit status under the IRS code, said Susan Wolf, spokeswoman for the Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance. For more information, click Here Bakersfield New, Improved Animal Regulations Hit Kern County Regulations Target Backyard Breeders, Irresponsible Pet Owners January 14, 2010 - Christine Dinh, Reporter Backyard breeders beware, there are some new regulations aimed to make sure consumers and animals are protected. "I think realistically people who got a puppy and wanted to breed it eventually are going to maybe think twice," said dog breeder and County Animal Control Commissioner Janice Anderson. That's because starting Feb. 12, County Animal Control will be enforcing some much stiffer regulations to crackdown on backyard breeding and irresponsible pet owners. For more information, click Here Kern County supervisors voted to change the county's animal control laws on Tuesday after four years of controversy and debate. The major goal of all the work was to combat animal overpopulation in Kern County, which forces county workers to kill nearly 20,000 unwanted animals a year. Supervisors blessed rules requiring license numbers be added to advertisements offering animals for sale. They also implemented penalties for failing to license dogs. Click Here to Read the Article Santa Barbara Adopts Spay-Neuter Ordinance Supervisors Adopt Ordinance Requiring Owners to Spay/Neuter Pets The law applies only to unincorporated areas of the county, and veterinarians can grant exemptions To Reac More, please Click Here County adopts spay-neuter ordinance - The Daily Sound By COLBY FRAZIER — Nov. 11, 2009 One of the most divisive, and sensitive, topics to go before the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in months concluded yesterday with the adoption of an ordinance that requires most cats and dogs to be spayed or neutered. Click Here for More Information Claremont PD Announces that the Inland Valley Humane Society Will be canvassing the City to ensure ALL dogs are licensed Click Here to read the Annoucement Beaumont, CA - Animal ordinance approved Published: Friday, October 23, 2009 12:22 AM CDT Beaumont’s city council approved the mandatory microchipping, neutering and spaying of animals Tuesday, but not before hearing several people — mainly out-of-towners — criticize the pending decision. Click Here To read more Huntington Beach, CA designated "Dog Town USA" Huntington Beach, CA designated "Dog Town USA", by Dog Fancy magazine. And there were more reasons: “It seems like everyone is SouthernCalifornia who knows dogs knows the Park Bench Café; and it’s in HuntingtonBeach! The city has a nice complement of veterinarians and specialists.Plus, 820 dogs through a shelter in a city of 30,000 dogs indicates that owners are keeping their dogs in the house, in their yards or on leashes.That’s a super number, as is the number of those dogs (610) who are either found by their owners, adopted or rescued.. Click Here to read the article Santa Barbara Homeless Pet Clinic San Roque Pet Hospital Offers Free Care to Street Pets Friday, July 17, 2009 By Dayle Dempsey If you have strolled down State Street, chances are you’ve seen the homeless man who walks with his rat balanced on his cat, which is balanced on his dog. While it is a peculiar spectacle, it is not a singular one—the number of companion animals living on the streets is surprisingly high. It is a fact of which Santa Barbara veterinarian David Dawson is keenly aware. In Santa Barbara County alone there are roughly 6,000 homeless people, with approximately one in 10 owning a pet. "With these economic times, we will not see the end of pet homelessness," said Dawson. "We need to give back and make a change to keep the pets and public of Santa Barbara healthy." And that is exactly what he is doing.Click Here for the rest of the story More Legislation to Ban Antibiotics This week, California State Senator Dean Florez, chairman of the Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture has introduced legislation to amend the California Constitution to ban the use of non-therapeutic antibiotics in meat-producing livestock. According to a report by Western United Dairymen, Florez is looking for every possible legislative vehicle available to push forward his agenda. SCA 23 was introduced on June 24. This measure is not subject to bill deadlines and can be moved at anytime. The measure requires a two- third vote of both the Assembly and the Senate to be placed on California's ballot. Then it would require approval of a majority of the voters to amend the state Constitution. Source: Western United Dairymen Click Here for more details Riverside council approves higher pet fees June 18, 2009 By DAVID DANELSKI The Press-Enterprise Responsible pet ownership is going to cost more in Riverside. The City Council voted Tuesday to double the price of dog licenses and increase other animal-related fees, effective immediately. The changes bring the cost of a one-year license to $16 for a spayed or neutered dog. Click Here for Details

Los Angelese City Council sends mixed message on animals with Friday anti-rescue vote May 14, 12:57 PM Ruby, a Dachshund mix, was pulled from a local shelter by a private rescue on the day she was scheduled to be killed. As a senior dog, the shelter allotted her only twenty days to find a home before being euthanized. The L.A. City Council voted Friday to create stricter controls on Animal Services adoption fee waivers granted to certain pet rescues and shelters that save animals from City shelters. Spurred by the complaint of a private citizen that she believed certain rescues were profiting from adoption fees, and what one Councilmember called "anecdotal information," the Council amended the L.A. Municipal Code to say that any rescue that received a fee waiver could not, when adopting the animal out to a member of the public, require an adoption fee that would "exceed the organization's aggregate cost recovery." For more information, please click HERE TORRANCE - Spay-neuter law weighed for Torrance PETS: City advisory panel will discuss mandate suggested by animal advocate. By Nick Green, Staff Writer Posted: 04/13/2009 11:06:36 PM PDT The advisory panel to the City Council has decided to discuss a potential spay and neuter ordinance for cats and dogs at its next meeting May 7 at City Hall Notices to local homeowners associations and other groups will be mailed later this week - an unusual step that underscores the sensitivity of the issue. For more Information, click Here Laguna Woods City approves spay and neuter law Wednesday approved an ordinance that calls for dogs and cats six months and older to be spayed or neutered. The City Council in front of a nearly full audience voted 4-1 in approval of the first reading of the ordinance. Councilman Bert Hack voted against it To read more, Click Here Santa Barbara City Dog License Fees go up Dog Owners Will Pay More For Licenses Santa Barbara, CA-- Santa Barbara dog owners will now be paying more to keep their dogs licensed At Tuesday's city council meeting, members approved a five-dollar increase in dog licensing fees. The price hike will bring the city an extra $25,000 a year. Those fees will go into effect starting June 1st. Click Here for details Manteca - Dog owners on neutering: It bites Workshop targets fixing dogs They say it is wrong response to series of dog maulings, By Jason Campbell, Reporter POSTED  March 31, 2009 2:20 a.m. It was a discussion about dogs in heat And it definitely got heated. More than two dozen dog owners stridently defended their position against a possible ordinance that would make the fixing of all dogs mandatory under city law if the City Council were to approve the same piece of legislation that is already in place the similarly sized City of Santa Cruz. The council is expected to discuss the possible ordinance – which tentatively includes exceptions for recognized show dogs, livestock dogs, police dogs, or assistance dogs in addition to city-licensed breeders – when they meet again on Tuesday, April 7, at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St. Click here For details Small Victory in Manteca, CA Wed Apr 8, 2009  Council Snips Attempt to Require Mandatory Dog Fixing The City of Manteca won¹t decree that dog owners get their animals fixed. Pits bulls and related breeds will remain as the only dogs facing mandatory spaying and neutering in Manteca after the council Tuesday rejected a plan to extend that requirement to all dogs. Click here For details South Lake Tahoe South Lake Tahoe considers ban on retail sale of dogs, cats updated 2:13 p.m. PT, Tues., March. 17, 2009 SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) -- South Lake Tahoe has moved one step closer to becoming the latest city to ban the retail sale of dogs and cats by pet stores. The city's planning commission recommended approval of the proposed ordinance on a 4-1 vote Thursday. It now will go to the City Council for consideration. Supporters say the ordinance would allow the city to do its part to combat puppy mills -- high-volume breeding facilities that the Humane Society of the United States considers to be inhumane. Click here For details Laguna Woods Changes to animal services ordinances draw large crowd to Laguna Woods Friday, February 20, 2009 Changes to animal services ordinances draw large crowd to Laguna Woods City Council Limiting number of animals and mandatory neutering, spaying proposed. Click here for details LANCASTER Vicious-dog ordinance gets 5-0 final approval by Council This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press, January 2009 Click here for details Elephants will stay at L.A. Zoo, council decides 1:04 PM, January 28, 2009 Elephants will remain at the Los Angeles Zoo Click here for more details SAN CLEMENETE Thursday, February 5, 2009 It's back to the drawing board for San Clemente animal ordinance By FRED SWEGLES - The Orange County Register To read more, Click HERE RIVERSIDE County Opponents fail to stop ordinance aimed at abandoned pets Click Here For Details. Opponents fail to stop ordinance aimed at abandoned pets By JEFF ROWE - Staff Writer Tuesday, January 13, 2009 10:10 PM UKIAH City Council: Caretaker replaces guardian By ROB BURGESS The Daily Journal Updated: 02/19/2009 12:03:26 AM PST For More Here Guardian/owner' may be pet law of future By ROB BURGESS The Daily Journal Updated: 02/05/2009 12:02:16 AM PST For More Click Here Council Staff Direction to Prepare Guardian Language Ordinance M/S City Of Ukiah - Click Here For City Council Minutes of the December 17, 2008 Meeting - Prepare Guardian Language Ordinance  County of San Luis Obispo The Animal Services Division (Division), under the umbrella of the Sheriff's Department, is responsible for providing animal care and control services throughout the County of San Luis Obispo.  The animal shelter is located off Highway 1, four miles west of downtown San Luis Obispo.  The Division is funded by internally generated revenue, service contract fees and the  County's general fund.  The Division's operating budget for the current fiscal year is approximately $2.1 million.  Download the Final Animal Sheleter Report in Pdf Format By Clicking here A study was initiated by Sheriff Pat Hedges in order to obtain an objective analysis of Animal Services in light of complaints and comments received from community members as well as Animal Services volunteers. Read the report by clicking here Winograd VS Los Angeles County Animal Care ANIMAL LOVERS ACHIEVE VICTORY IN LAWSUIT TO PROTECT L.A. ANIMALS CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY The Superior Court in Los Angeles struck two blows against animal mistreatment in Los Angeles County's animal shelters by giving plaintiffs the first two victories in their lawsuit. Read the Press Release by clicking here For the court order overruling County on Motion to Dismiss,click Here For the court order ordering the County to allow plaintiffs to rescue animals, click here

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