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.
The ordinance stops short of being an across-the-board mandate on pet birth control by allowing pet owners opposed to forfeiting their animal’s reproductive ability to purchase a $10 “unaltered animal license....”
The ordinance was drafted over the course of a year by a Spay-Neuter Task Force, which narrowly voted 6-5 in favor. Centeno said the split vote was hardly evidence that the ordinance is in the best interest of most pet owners.
According to the board’s agenda letter, the task force apparently split over whether to grant an exemption to people who own some purebred animals. But because pet owners can receive an unaltered pet certificate, the majority of task force felt any special exemptions were unneeded....
Third District Supervisor Doreen Farr requested, and received, an exemption for pet owners whose property fits certain agricultural classifications.
While state law has long required dogs to be licensed, cats have not. However, the new ordinance will require unaltered cats to become registered. But unlike with dogs, cat owners will not have to show proof of a rabies vaccination....
The new ordinance will go into effect on January 1, but Klein-Rothschild, the Public Health Department spokeswoman, said pet owners will be given a six-month window to comply.
In order to encourage pet owners to register their animals, officials said fees will be waved for a brief time before the ordinance goes live. After the six-month grace period, owners of unregistered pets will be hit with a $250 fine.
Public health officials also must issue a report on the effectiveness of the new ordinance in the next 24 to 36 months.
Legislation By State 
