BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  ACR 19
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   February 26, 2009

                             ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES
                                 Ted W. Lieu, Chair
                  ACR 19 (Smyth) - As Introduced:  February 4, 2009

           
          SUBJECT  :   Spay Day USA 2009

           SUMMARY  :   Declares February 24, 2009, to be Spay Day USA 2009,  
          and requests that Californians observe that day by having their  
          dogs or cats spayed or neutered and by contributing to  
          organizations that provide spay and neuter services.   
          Specifically,  this resolution  makes the following legislative  
          findings:  

          1)More than 500,000 dogs and cats entered animal shelters in  
            California during 2007, and an additional unknown number of  
            animals die each year due to abandonment, neglect, abuse,  
            starvation, or cruelty.

          2)The cost to government and nonprofit agencies of handling and  
            euthanizing discarded animals approaches $250 million per  
            year; and it is the policy of the State of California that  
            animal shelters should aggressively promote spay and neuter  
            programs to reduce pet overpopulation.

          3)Veterinarians, humane societies, animal control agencies, and  
            national and local animal welfare organizations will join  
            together to advocate the spaying or neutering of dogs and cats  
            on "Spay Day USA 2009," an annual campaign of the Humane  
            Society of the United States.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   None

           COMMENTS  :  The author has submitted amendments that add Assembly  
          Member Lieu as principal co-author and make technical  
          corrections regarding the number of dogs and cats entering  
          animal shelters and associated costs.  Committee staff  
          recommends adoption as proposed to be amended.

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           








                                                                  ACR 19
                                                                  Page  2

          None on file.

           Opposition 
           
          None on file.

           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Anna McCabe / RLS. / (916) 319-2800