Update: We worked hard, but by a razor-thin margin, the California Senate voted yesterday to pass S.B. 250.
Earlier this week, we asked concerned California residents like you to take action against this bill because it targets cats owned by lower-income owners and cared for by feral cat caregivers. And you took action, sending almost 7,000 letters urging California Senators to oppose the bill. Your voices were clearly heard, but unfortunately the bill - which was sponsored by the Senate Majority Leader - passed by just one vote.
When we heard the news, were disappointed, and we know you are too. But remember: S.B. 250 is not the law. S.B. 250 has only passed the Senate; it has not passed the Assembly or been signed into law by the Governor. Alley Cat Allies will continue to fight for the interests of cats, and we will work hard to oppose this bill in the state Assembly. We will continue to monitor legislation in California, and we will let you know when more action is needed.
Thank you for your efforts on behalf of California's cats.
Original Issue: We need your help today! This week, the full California Senate will vote on S.B. 250, the ill-conceived bill that many of you urged the Appropriations Committee to reject. Instead the committee sent the bill, which would hurt cats cared for by feral cat caregivers and low-income cat owners to the full Senate without debate.
S.B. 250 would place stray and feral cats at risk because it targets the very people that care for them. The bill defines any person feeding or caring for a cat on her property as a "custodian," and legally requires that person to neuter the cats in their care. If a caregiver were unable to trap and neuter a cat, S.B. 250 would label her a lawbreaker. Caring for stray and feral cats should be encouraged; but tragically, this bill would mean the very people doing the most to help cats would be breaking the law.
The overwhelming majority of household cats--80%--are already neutered. The neuter rate jumps to 93% for cats living in households earning $35,000 or more. A recent study commissioned by Alley Cat Allies found that among lower-income owners of intact pet cats, cost was one of the main obstacles to spaying and neutering. But S.B. 250 does nothing to lower the cost of spay/neuter. Indeed, the bill has no mechanism whatsoever to ensure more cats are spayed and neutered.
Cats live better lives when they are spayed and neutered. For this reason, Alley Cat Allies supports high-volume, low-cost spay/neuter programs. These programs help both stray and feral cat caregivers and low-income cat owners alike, and have proven effective at increasing the neuter rate of cats. But instead of supporting what works, S.B. 250 does not provide for, fund, or even suggest the creation of low-cost spay/neuter clinics.
Read more information on spay/neuter in the United States.
