Tonight at 6 p.m. the long, tedious battle over new animal facility rules in Kern County will continue before the county Animal Control Commission.

County staff hold out little hope that the protracted, emotional fight will result in a final vote from the commission and a recommendation to the Kern County Board of Supervisors.

The core of the battle, from the beginning, has centered around opposition by animal breeders to any new regulation of their operations or requirements that they obtain a permit to breed their animals for show or cash.

Animal rescuers —who are pushing for more regulation —  say something has to be done to stem the tide of unwanted, homeless animals dying in county shelters (at the rate of 17,000 a year) because animal owners won't spay or neuter their pets.

The two groups have spent long hours in commission meetings arguing, debating and sometimes insulting each other over the issue.

But the breeders have gained the most ground.

Any consideration of a mandatory spay and neuter ordinance — which would require sterilization of all pets without a breeding permit — was nixed almost immediately.

And rules that would require inspection of homes or businesses where numerous animals are kept have slowly been whittled away.

The current version of the ordinance calls on the county — not the public — to solve the animal overpopulation problem by pouring taxpayer cash into low-cost spay and neuter programs.

But breeders still aren't happy. The rules still require "animal facility" permits for large operations and those permits require a visit from county staff to the operation in question.

One caller, who rang me yesterday, said government should keep it's nose out of breeder operations.

Do you agree?

Check out the proposed ordinances — complete with strike outs and changes — at the link at the top of this post.

In general, Monday's joint meeting of the Kern County Board of Supervisors and the Bakersfield City Council was polite and non-controversial.

But there are always a few chuckles when that many politicians (11) get together.

One example came, delightfully, from Councilman Ken Weir.

Weir is known for his business-like, might we risk saying "dour" public manner, commented on the impact to drivers and neighbors of the construction work on the new interchange at Highway 178 and Fairfax Road Monday night.

"I'm hesitant to say this, because I know what's going to happen," Wier told Public Works Director Raul Rojas. "You and your staff are to be commended. After all that earthwork, I've not had a single complaint."

Then he made a funny.

"Now that I've said that, I'll probably start getting complaints. In case I do, I have Supervisor (Mike) Maggard's number right by my phone," he dead-panned.

There were even chuckles.