The “Vincent Bill”
Originally passed in 1998, this bill requires all animals released from shelters and rescue groups be spayed and neutered prior to placement. The law originally contained a sunset clause of January 1, 2006. In 2004, the sunset clause was deleted from the legislation; however many shelters and rescue groups were not aware of this. As a result, some shelters are already beginning to release unaltered animals with a s/n deposit.
The “Vincent Bill” is still in effect, therefore every animal released from a shelter or rescue must be spayed or neutered prior to release. The two exceptions are when: (1) a California-licensed veterinarian certifies in writing that the animal is too sick or injured to be spayed or neutered at the time of release, or (2) an animal is released to another shelter or rescue that has a written policy of spay/neuter prior to adoption. |