(1888PressRelease)
April 26, 2008 - In response Cathie Turner, CDOC’s Executive Director issued a statement declaring, “CDOC was formed long before Assemblymember Levine even announced his candidacy for the State Senate.” Turner added, “Just one of CDOC's projects is to educate the public about the hazards of too-young mandatory spay/neuter and about better ways of addressing the problem of unwanted pets such as education and low-cost and voluntary spay/neuter at the appropriate age. We certainly did not create this organization to defeat Lloyd Levine.”
CDOC is a 501(c)(3) organization which by law cannot endorse a candidate for office or raise funds for a candidate. According to Turner, inaccurate comments such as those by Barker can jeopardize a non-profit organization’s tax-free status. CDOC claims they have never raised nor spent a single penny to defeat Lloyd Levine or to elect his opponent.
Turner continues, “Far from being ‘foes of humane treatment of animals,’ CDOC has promoted legislation, including a bill that would enable Californians to check off a box on their tax returns to donate money for education and low-cost voluntary spay/neuter programs, and a bill which would create a ‘Responsible Dog Owner’ license plate, again to raise money for programs that have far greater prospects for success than early, mandatory spay/neuter laws.”
The results of a recent Parade magazine poll further show the communities’ overwhelming support of CDOC’s efforts, with 91 percent of all participating pet owners voting against a mandatory spay/neuter law. (Results current as of April 22, 2008).
Concerned Dog Owners of California, an inclusive organization is comprised of individual dog owners across California, believes in promoting voluntary altering at a time chosen by the owner and the veterinarian of a dog. The reality of mandatory spay and neuter programs is that they can result in an increased number of animals being surrendered because their owners cannot afford sterilization, which costs upwards of $200 in the City of Los Angeles, unless subsidized by the City. Voluntary programs, on the other hand, have reduced dog euthanasia by 74 percent in the last six years in Los Angeles alone.
About CDOC:
The mission of Concerned Dog Owners of California (CDOC) is to provide information and education to the general public as well as elected officials and others so that legislation and regulation will promote the health, well-being and appropriate care of all dogs, protect the rights and responsibilities of dog owners and breeders, and support responsible dog ownership. For more information on CDOC, please visit: http://www.cdoca.org/. For more information, or to set up an interview, please contact Tyler Barnett at 323.937.1351.
