With animal shelters across Los Angeles bursting at the seams with unwanted dogs, the Los
Angeles City Council approved a temporary moratorium on dog breeding licenses on Tuesday,
Apr. 9, NBCLosAngeles.com has reported. 

“Animal shelters everywhere are overwhelmed with abandoned dogs and cats,” said Priscilla
Feral, president of Friends of Animals. “The LA City Council has done the right thing by passing
a moratorium on dog breeding as euthanasia rates have spiked—and we urge communities
across the country to focus on spay-neuter so that unwanted pets don’t end up dying.”

Staycee Dains, general manager of Los Angeles Animal Services, began calling for the
temporary ban last fall, when the city’s six shelters were at 210 percent overcapacity, with 1,551
dogs living in accommodations meant for 737 dogs. The city issues about 1,800 breeding
permits a year, for a $325 fee, Dains told mynewsla.com. Dains acknowledged that “most
people who are breeding do not have a license,” and said funding for more enforcement officers
is a high priority.

The proposed moratorium would be lifted once shelters were at or below 75% capacity for three
consecutive months and could be automatically reinstated if shelter capacity rises above 75%,
reports NBCLosAngeles.com.

Los Angeles Animal Services is encouraging Angelenos to help relieve overcrowding by
adopting shelter animals. The city of Los Angeles provides discount and full-cost vouchers to
help people take steps to avoid unwanted litters.

Friends of Animas also offers certificates that you can use at participating veterinary clinics for
low-cost spay/neuter procedures. To purchase a spay/neuter certificate from FoA, click here.

“Now what’s needed is stricter enforcement of those despicable backyard hobby breeders, who
are just looking to make a quick buck by churning out litters that only worsen the overpopulation
of unspayed and unneutered dogs and cats,” said Priscilla Feral. “Euthanasia rates at shelters
are at a three-year high. Shutting down unscrupulous breeders can’t happen soon enough, and
L.A.’s dog-breeding moratorium will help animal control officers find them and stop them.”