Bob Barker finished every episode of The Price Is Right with the same warning: "Help control the pet population, have your pet spayed or neutered." The city council of Los Angeles isn't giving city residents a choice any longer. Yesterday the mayor signed off on a new law that requires animal owners to have most dogs and cats altered by the age of four months. The exceptions are for guide or police dogs, show dogs and pets belonging to professional breeders.

Thousands of animals are euthanized in the city annually and council members hope the tough law will assist in reducing the number.

“We will, sooner rather than later, become a no-kill city and this is the greatest step in that direction,” Councilman Tony Cardenas said as he held a kitten at a City Hall news conference.

Penalties for will range from $100 and eight hours of community service for first-time offenders to $500 and 40 hours of community service for repeat offenders.

“The next time that you hear me say, ’Help control the pet population, have your pet spayed or neutered,’ I can add, ’It’s the law in Los Angeles,”’ a jubilant Barker said.

As the owner of a beloved pet adopted from a shelter, I can say that though this may be viewed as unfair, there is nothing fair about sentencing innocent animals to death simply because they're unwanted. Unfortunately animal shelters are rapidly filled to the point of overflowing and so introducing protective measures such as a law are necessary since obviously common sense and decency aren't doing the trick.

» MSNBC Health