Many dogs will face a sad fate after the governor's plan to repeal a law that postponed euthanasia. (Courtesy Oddsock/Flickr)

Pet lovers are outraged by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to repeal a law designed to postpone euthanasia in animal shelters.

The governor - in an attempt to help solve the state’s $24.3 billion deficit - will ask the state legislature to approve a repeal of 1998’s Hayden Bill, which requires shelters to keep animals alive four to six days before putting them to sleep. The state government reimburses local governments for the cost of housing animals for the holding period, up to six days.

Schwarzenegger’s recommendation would allow shelters to euthanize animals after three days  and, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, would save the state about $24 million in feeding, caring for and housing the animals.

A coalition of animal-rights organizations have asked the governor to suspend - rather than repeal - the bill, and are trying to work with the state to form an adoption-incentive funding plan that would assist shelters down the road.

Darlene White, the executive director of the San Diego Animal Support Foundation, said there is strong, vocal opposition to the governor’s plan.

“Dogs and cats are as American as apple pie and baseball; you can’t mess with someone’s family - their kids, or their pets,” she said. “These pets - our pets - deserve the extra [three] days for us to try to find them.”

White said the governor’s proposal will force the municipal shelters to euthanize unadoptable animals before owners can claim them, or before privately-funded shelters or rescue groups can save them.

Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Los Angeles (SCPA-L.A.) said the governor’s proposal creates a “vicious catch-22.”

With the dire economic situation, more pet owners are unable to care for dogs and cats and are turning them over to municipal shelters. Conceivably, Bernstein said, the state’s cuts to reimbursing shelters could force shelters to euthanize more animals, because they won’t be able to pay to care for animals past the new 72-hour window.

Bernstein said the governor’s plan is “terrible news for animals in shelters,” but it is “almost impossible” to gauge how many more pets would be put to sleep, she said.

“This could very well have a negative impact on euthanasia rates and the ability for cash-strapped facilities to keep animals alive as long as possible, to give them the best shot at being adopted,” Bernstein said.

Dan DeSousa, a public information officer for the San Diego County Department of Animal Services, said, while the governor’s proposal may impact funding, it will not have an impact on animals at the county’s shelters in San Diego, Carlsbad and Bonita.

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Kuwait, pictured above, is a short-hair domestic mix, available for adoption at the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA at 5500 Gaines St. All Humane Society/SPCA animals are spayed/neutered with up-to-date vaccinations and are microchipped before adoption.

“We will lose money, but, if we have to choose between money or an animal’s life, we’ll always err on the side of the animal,” DeSousa said. “This isn’t going to be a death knell for animals in our facilities.”

The county’s shelters mandate a four-day holding period and that will not change if the governor’s proposal passes, he said. DeSousa said the county has not euthanized an animal due to space or time constraints in years. Rather, animals with severe health or behavioral problems are considered for euthanasia, he said.

In 2007-2008, the county’s shelters took in 26,078 animals; of them, approximately 11,600 were adopted out, or sent to a rescue group, and 4,800 were reunited with owners. About 7,500 had to be euthanized, which is a decrease from the 9,218 euthanized in 2003-2004.

The Humane Society of the United States, the American SPCA, the State Humane Association of California and California Animal Control Directors Association filed its opposition to the governor’s plan, and members of the organizations testified at the state’s Legislative Budget Conference Committee earlier this month.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Jennifer Fearing of the Human Society told the committee, “If shelters are no longer reimbursed by the state for holding animals, they will be forced to cut services. The savings generated by suspending this mandate is a paltry 0.1 percent of the $24 billion deficit. These funds are the only state dollars that presently go to assisting local governments with the costly problem of pet overpopulation.”

Critics say overpopulation is the real problem, and, if the governor’s recommendation passes, privately-funded shelters and rescue groups would see an indirect impact.

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Dodger, a chocolate Labrador Retriever, is available for adoption from Puggles and Pitties Pet Rescue, a small rescue group located in San Diego.

More than 80 percent of the animals housed at Helen Woodward Animal Center are transfers from municipal shelters or rescue groups, said John Van Zante, a spokesperson for the nonprofit, no-kill shelter. Van Zante said the governor’s recommendation does nothing to address the complex problem of pet overpopulation.

Van Zante said there is little regulation and oversight of backyard breeders, or people operating “puppy mills,” and that leads to an abundance of orphaned animals - which puts a strain on municipal shelters. Unlike privately-funded shelters, shelters funded by local governments cannot turn away stray pets. When municipal shelters become crowded, privately-funded shelters and rescue groups step in to help with overflow.

“Taking money away and shortening the amount of time animals stay at animal shelters does nothing whatsoever to get to the source of the problem,” Van Zante said. “[The governor] needs to get to the root of the problem, not hurt the people who are already working to end the problem.”

The San Diego Humane Society declined to comment on the governor’s proposal. A spokesman said the organization is waiting for more information before it comments.

The Legislative Analysts Office and opponents of Schwarzenegger’s plan have suggested alternatives to the governor’s proposal, including a yearlong, adoption incentive program that would give local governments $30 for every pet adopted from a municipal shelter. The plan would cost the state about $12 million, and proponents say it would save the state money, while funding programs for shelters. Bernstein said that is part of the ongoing dialogue between animal-rights organizations and the state, but it is not likely a program will be in place this year.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said legislators will have a balanced budget on the governor’s table this week - whether the budget will include this proposal - has not yet been addressed.

Joseph Peña is a contributing editor for San Diego News Network.