Californians have another year to order the "California Pet Lover's License Plate," which will help fund spay and neuter program, thanks to a bill by Assemblyman Jose Solorio, D-Anaheim, that Gov. Jerry Brown signed this week.
"It's a great idea," said Brown, who was accompanied by the state's first dog, Sutter, and actor Pierce Brosnan on his visit to a West Los Angeles pet store Wednesday. "It's not government, it's not bureaucracy. It's not Sacramento."
The plates will not be distributed until 7,500 are ordered. There were 4,620 plates ordered as of Tuesday, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The plates cost $50 initially and have a $40 annual renewal fee. A personalized plate costs $98, with a $78 annual renewal fee.
Approximately $32.68 of each $50 paid per plate order goes into the spay/neuter fund and the other $17.32 to the Department of Motor Vehicles for processing, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Brosnan, who created the artwork on the plate, depicting a sunglass-wearing cat on the head of a dog, told television station ABC 7 that the plate program "will enable people who couldn't necessarily afford to neuter their dog or their cat (to) take them to a shelter (and) have them neutered so they don't have unwanted babies."
Solorio, who joined Brown and Brosnan at the event promoting the plates said "pet owners want to do the right thing, but spay/neuter surgeries average $95 per procedure. The annual proceeds from the plate will give city and county animal shelters the opportunity to bring those costs down to more affordable levels, or even be free. Ultimately, this bill will save hundreds of thousands of pet lives in California."
For more information on the plate, which is sponsored by the California Veterinary Medical Board, visit caspayplate.com.
—Editor Nicole Mooradian contributed to this report.
