The dog days of summer
In this great democracy of ours, we are all presumably equal. Every citizen is supposed to stop at red lights, pay taxes and show up when called for jury duty. By the same token, we are all supposed to be treated equally under the law.
There are segments of society where inequities are profoundly evident, where it is common knowledge that disparities are not only obvious but actually sanctioned by officialdom.
One such segment comprises the millions of people who own dogs and cats.
It can be argued that cat owners enjoy preferential treatment. The simplest evidence is that, at least in this Sonoma County, cats are not required to be licensed, whereas any dog over the age of four months must be licensed. To be registered with the county, every dog must first be vaccinated against rabies, which can cost a pretty penny here in Sonoma. Then a license may be issued (the fee depends on the animal; in many cases, it’s around $30). The license expires 12 months later, at which time the dog owner gets to repeat steps one and two, getting charged again and again until the dog dies or the owner moves out of state.
Issues such as these were on our minds when we read the news two weeks ago that a very sensible bill, which would have gone a long way towards leveling the playing field, pet ownership-wise, was given the brush-off by the Senate Local Government Committee.
We had about given up on anyone in government taking a stand in this arena when earlier this year along came Assemblyman Lloyd Levine. Backed by studies showing that California taxpayers are paying nearly $300 million a year to shelter, feed, euthanize and dispose of unwanted pets, the Van Nuys Democrat sponsored Assembly Bill 1634, which would have required both cats and dogs to be sterilized before they are six months old, unless they meet one of several exceptions in the bill. Its aim was to reduce the burden on animal shelters by restricting reproduction.
In honor of the dog days of summer (currently July 3 through August 11), we would like to applaud Assemblyman Levine for his championship efforts.
“Dog days,” incidentally, only happen to occur at this, the hottest period of the year. The term refers to the brightest of the stars in Canis Major (“the big dog”), Sirius, a star that shines so brightly that the ancient Romans thought the earth received heat from it.
Maybe the legislators were just feeling cranky from the summer heat in Sacramento, but at any rate, they were subjected to a barrage of complaints from pet owners, breeders (including amateurs) and other interested parties that doomed AB 1634’s chances of even getting out of committee.
It helps to remember that a century ago, dogs were not required to be licensed, either, so maybe it’s just a matter of time before the same rules are applied to cats. Meanwhile, we hope every pet owner will consider the ramifications of irresponsibility.
We’re Sirius.
A change comes to the Sun
This week’s paper marks the last issue of the Sonoma Valley Sun to be edited under the watchful eye and careful guidance of Managing Editor Tim Omarzu. A fixture in the Sun newsroom for nearly three years, Tim’s presence and style evoked a time of old school newsmanship and straightforward reporting. When the organization would buzz with excitement over the “New Media” combination of film, Internet, podcasting, and vodcasting, Tim would remind us of the importance of ink on paper. We wish Tim all the best in his new endeavor and thank him for bringing his perspective to the Sun.
