Survey Of California Voters Regarding Potential Pet Legislation

Evaluates support or opposition to a number of positioning statements and variables for initiatives related to companion animals in California.

This survey conducted among registered California voters addresses many issues, but a summary of the animal related issues are contained herein.

Two CA statewide initiatives in consideration for the 1996 ballot were:

1. The establishing of a cat licensing program and fees, with funds being used for low cost and free spay and neutering for cats, including strays (67% Support, 31% Oppose)
2. The requirement of pet owners to spay or neuter their cats and dogs, unless they obtain a pet permit and pay a one-time fee to keep an unaltered cat or dog. The fees would be used for a low cost and free spaying and neutering program (74% Support/24% Oppose).

According to survey respondents, pet overpopulation is:

• Very important (38%)
• Somewhat important (34%)
• Not too important (28%)
• No opinion (1%)

Voters felt that an initiative that would reduce pet overpopulation should include provisions:

• Just for cats (4%)
• Just for dogs (1%)
• Both (79%)
• Neither (11%)
• No opinion (5%)

Various provisions being considered for cats are (% Support/% Opposed/% No opinion):

• Requiring yearly rabies shots for all cats (79%/17%/4%)
• Requiring yearly licensing of all cats (65%/32%/3%)
• Requiring mandatory spaying or neutering of all cats, unless owner buys special breeders’ permit (67%/30%/3%)
• Requiring mandatory sterilization of a cat after its second Animal Control Impound (77%/20%/3%)
• Requiring breeders and other people who don’t wish to spay or neuter their cat to obtain an unaltered pet permit and pay a one-time fee for each unaltered cat (71%/25%/4%)
• Charging an annual license fee for unaltered cats that is 3-5 times the fee for spayed or neutered cats (58%/37%/5%)
• Increasing annual license fees for unaltered cats to roughly the cost of a spay or neuter (63%/32%/5%)
• Issuing fix-it tickets to owners whose cat receives a complaint, giving them 30 days to have their cat sterilized or pay a $100 nuisance fine (62%/34%/4%)
• Requiring local governments to enact local laws to address cat overpopulation in their communities (70%/27%/3%)

After respondents were presented with this list of options being consider for cats, 66% were still in support of a statewide initiative on the ballot to address cat overpopulation while 27% were opposed, 5% felt that it depended, and 2% did not have an opinion.

Various provisions being considered for dogs are (% Support/% Opposed/% No opinion):

• Requiring mandatory spaying or neutering of all dogs, unless kept indoors (54%/43%/3%)
• Requiring mandatory spaying or neutering of all dogs, unless owner buys special breeders’ permit (65%/33%/2%)
• Requiring mandatory sterilization of a dog after its second Animal Control Impound (76%/21%/3%)
• Requiring breeders and other people who don’t wish to spay or neuter their dog to obtain an unaltered pet permit and pay a one-time fee for each unaltered cat (71%/25%/4%)
• Charging an annual license fee for unaltered dogs that is 3-5 times the fee for spayed or neutered dogs (59%/38%/3%)
• Increasing annual license fees for unaltered dogs to roughly the cost of a spay or neuter (65%/32%/3%)
• Issuing fix-it tickets to owners whose dog receives a complaint, giving them 30 days to have their cat sterilized or pay a $100 nuisance fine (64%/33%/3%)
• Requiring local governments to enact local laws to address cat overpopulation in their communities (71%/27%/2%)

After respondents were presented with this list of options being consider for dogs, 67% were still in support of a statewide initiative on the ballot to address dog overpopulation while 27% were opposed, 4% felt that it depended, and 2% did not have an opinion.

Voters were then asked how likely they would be to support a pet overpopulation initiative if (More likely%/Less Likely%/No Difference %/No Opinion %):  

• It addressed both cat and dog overpopulation (73%/14%/11%/2%)
• It addressed cat overpopulation only (22%/61%/16%/1%)
• It addressed dog overpopulation only (16%/67%/15%2%)
• Any new fees that are collected are used to provide low cost and free rabies shots and spay/neuter programs for people who can’t afford these services for their pets (77%/17%/5%/1%)
• Enforcement of any new regulations was limited to only pets whose owners have received a complaint (55%/34%/7%/4%)

If an unaltered pet permit program was established for either cats or dogs:

• 37% would prefer a one-time unaltered pet permit fee
• 21% would prefer increasing the annual licensing fee for unaltered pets
• 29% would prefer both  
• 8% would not like either option
• 4% had no opinion

If an annual license fee for unaltered cats was imposed, support would measure for associated fee:  

• $10/yr (57%)
• $25/yr (39%)
• $35/yr (23%)
• $50/yr (16%)
• $75/yr (15%)

If a one-time permit fee to own an unaltered cat were imposed, support would measure for associated fee:  

• $10 (55%)
• $25 (40%)
• $35 (28%)
• $50 (26%)
• $75 (16%)
• $100 (20%)

If a one-time permit fee to own an unaltered dog were imposed, support would measure for associated fee:  

• $10 (55%)
• $25 (40%)
• $35 (26%)
• $50 (23%)
• $75 (14%)
• $100 (18%)

If an annual license fee for unaltered dogs was imposed, support would measure for associated fee:  

• $10/yr (60%)
• $25/yr (41%)
• $35/yr (25%)
• $50/yr (18%)
• $75/yr (15%)

This survey also includes a large list of other reasons to support an overpopulation initiative.  Amount the most highly supported concepts, receiving 80% support or above were:  

• Irresponsible pet owners need to be made to take responsibility for their pets (89%)
• Requiring pet owners to be fully responsible for their pets is a better solution than continuing to kill unwanted cats and dogs (88%)
• These things are reasonable to ask. We wouldn’t have strays and unwanted pets if all pet owners did these things voluntarily (85%), Some of the licensing and permit fees can be used to spay and neuter stray cats and dogs (85%)  
• Some of the money can be used to help seniors and others who can’t afford it to sterilize and get rabies shots for their cats and dogs (83%)
• Requiring licensing and rabies shots for dogs has helped reduce rabies and overpopulation in dogs (82%)
• Reducing the number of strays and surplus pets will reduce the long term animal control costs to taxpayers (82%)
• Charging a five dollar a year license fee for cats and using the money to help stop cat overpopulation is a good expenditure of money (80%)

Some of the most significant reasons for opposing a statewide pet overpopulation initiative are (50% opposed or above):  

• Other, non-tax type alternatives should be tried before we embark on creating another government program (58%)
• Pet problems vary by area and should be solved with local ordinances, not a statewide initiative (57%)
• Responsible pet owners already pay to take care of their own pets.  The shouldn’t have to pay more to subsidize irresponsible pet owners too (52%)
• There are many more important things to spend our tax money on than pet sterilization (50%)
• This is a great example of government overregulation (50%)
• This won’t solve the problem. The laws would be too hard to enforce, and it’ll just make animal control a bigger, more expensive bureaucracy (50%)

After hearing more about this initiative idea, 54% were in support of a statewide initiative to address cat overpopulation (54%), 53% were in support of an initiative to address dog overpopulation (53%) and 63% were in support of addressing both cat and dog overpopulation.

An estimated 37% of respondents have cats living at home while 39% have dogs living at home.