On April 7, 2009, the Manteca City Council rejected a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance that would have applied to all dogs over 6 months of age, with narrow exceptions. Here are some excerpts from the news media:
Stockton Record
“Some two dozen local residents attended the March 30 meeting, and most objected to the proposed ordinance. The general consensus was the city should not regulate such matters.”
Manteca Bulletin
“Mayor Willie Weatherford believes such an ordinance would only penalize responsible pet owners who license their dogs while allowing those that create the problem to avoid any consequences. If an unlicensed dog was picked up and the owner didn’t want to comply and pay up to $150 to have the dog neutered or spayed, the city would be forced to destroy it or find another home for the dog.
Jan Nielsen LTE in the Manteca Bulletin
“I read your article stating that “the lives of 1,700 dogs could be spared over the next 10 years if Manteca has the same success with a proposed mandatory spay and neutering ordinance such as the one Santa Cruz now has in place”.
“Santa Cruz is often offered up as the model for success but the true numbers do not bear that out. I have attached 3 documents that show shelter statistics, the failures of MSN, and one way to success without MSN.”