AUGUSTA (AP) – Loretta Swit, who played Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the long-running television show “M*A*S*H,” was in Maine’s Capitol on Wednesday to pitch legislation that promotes spaying and neutering of dogs and cats.

Swit said Maine would “set a huge example for the rest of the country” if it enacts the bill to end overpopulation of pets. Thousands of dogs and cats must be euthanized because shelters are overcrowded with unclaimed dogs and cats, she said.

“We want to take Maine and all the other states out of the murder business,” Swit said at a news conference.

The bill would create a voluntary state income tax checkoff that allows taxpayers to contribute to a pet sterilization program. Based on a New Hampshire law, the bill would provide reduced costs for eligible Mainers when they get their pets spayed or neutered.

Participating veterinarians would be reimbursed for their costs.

Swit has served as a spokeswoman for the Humane Society of the United States. Her wildlife series on the Discovery Channel, “Those Incredible Animals,” had a five-year run.

AP-ES-02-11-04 1322EST