Pets Information


But My Pet Will Never Run Away (or Why We Need Licenses)


The city I live in just increased its fees for dog and cat licenses. It's now $30 a year for unneutered/unsprayed pets and $20 a year for sprayed/neutered pets.

Even though these are not major dollars, there were plenty of complaints. Some people consider the increase (we were at $5) just a way to raise more money during budget cuts. Some people who keep their pet - especially their cat - inside all the time think it is unfair to make them pay at all.

Please remember that licensing your pet has several benefits for all of us:

1. It ensures that dogs have had their rabies vaccinations. Rabies is 99.9% fatal for dogs and humans and requiring proof of vaccination for a license protects the entire community. There are irresponsible owners who might not do this if it wasn't required.

2. Licenses help cities keep track of how many pets a person owns and how many dogs are in the city.

Many cities limit the number of dogs or pets any one household can have. Again, given the number of irresponsible or deranged people out there, this is a necessary limitation for community health.

3. Licenses tell the animal control officers that a dog has an owner and isn't an abandoned or stray dog. In some cities, unclaimed dogs without licenses are euthanized in fewer days than dogs with collars.

4. Licenses may have contact information about the owner, thus helping reunite dogs with their owners. If you think Fido would never bolt out your door to chase a bike runner or butterfly, you don't know dogs.

5. Licenses requires collars which enable owners to include more tags. For example, you can note any serious illnesses your dog has (e.g., diabetes) or note on the tag that you guarantee payment of emergency medical bills for your dog.

6. License fees help pay for local animal shelters and animal control officers. Yes, my city's increase is driven by budget cuts and thank goodness, my city is progressive enough to find the money to maintain our animal control department.

7. License fees help motivate owners to have sprayed/neutered dogs through the cost reduction. If owners aren't planning to show or breed dogs, having the dogs sprayed or neutered is a health benefit for the animals.

No one likes taxes or fees, but sometimes they do have good reasons to exist.

Louise Louis is a long-time dog person and operates http://www.ToyBreeds.com


MORE RESOURCES:

WNCT

Store Accused Of Selling 'Puppy Mill' Pets
WYFF, SC - 8 hours ago
GREENVILLE, SC -- A national pet store chain is under fire tonight accused of selling puppies that come from "puppy mills." The Humane Society of the United ...
Video: Humane Society Says Petland Tied to Puppy Mills AssociatedPress
Investigation ties pet chain to 'puppy mills' MSNBC
Humane Society charges national chain with selling puppies from mills Brownsville Herald
WIFR - Right Pundits
all 177 news articles


PetProductNews.com

Pet Sitter Association Poised for New Leadership
PetProductNews.com, CA - 9 hours ago
The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS), a non-profit trade association based in Mount Laurel, NJ, will be under new leadership in 2009 ...
Raleigh Pet Sitter Jerry Wentz Finishes Term as Past President of ... MarketWatch
Tucson Pet Sitter Vickie Reason Appointed to the Board of ... MarketWatch
all 41 news articles


Freezing temperatures a danger to outdoor pets
Kingsport Times News, TN - 3 hours ago
As temperatures this week dip below freezing at night, animal shelter folks are urging pet owners to make sure their dogs and cats have proper protection ...
At the shelter State Gazette
all 2 news articles


San Francisco Chronicle

Would you chose your pet over your partner?
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 9 hours ago
In a study of 900 pet parents by BizRate Research, women said they had a deeper emotional connection with their pets than men did. ...


Three people, 19 pets evacuated in Northeast fire
KVIA, TX - 8 hours ago
EL PASO, Texas -- Two adults, one child and nearly 20 pets, including ferrets, dogs and mice, were evacuated during a Thursday morning fire that nearly ...
Ferrets Revived With Oxygen Masks KTSM-TV
Extension Cord Sparks House Fire KFOXtv.com
6 fire units respond to Northeast house fire El Paso Times
KVIA
all 5 news articles


City seeks to get more pets licensed
Storm Lake Pilot Tribune, IA - 15 hours ago
In efforts to get more pets in the City of Storm Lake properly licensed so they comply with City Code, the City Council is looking at passing an ordinance ...
Dog tags might help get strays home, veterinarian says Le Mars Daily Sentinel
all 2 news articles


A Happy Pet for the Holidays: Natural Remedies to Treat Animals ...
MarketWatch - 20 hours ago
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass., Nov 20, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Does your pet misbehave when you leave the house? Whether you're entertaining or traveling for ...


Making Tough Decisions About Sick Pets
WCCO, MN - 1 hour ago
(WCCO) For many people, pets are a part of the family. And it's the sad truth that, for most, we will outlive them, and often have to make tough decisions ...


Pets for adoption
Savannah Morning News, GA - 1 hour ago
The following pets are available from The Humane Society Chatham-Savannah. Applications are available at The Humane Society, 7215 Sallie Mood Drive. ...


Holiday feasts are not for pets
IdahoStatesman.com, ID - 17 hours ago
You'll see our warnings about feeding repeatedly because around this time of year, every year, we see pets brought in with very preventable illnesses caused ...

Pets - Google News

home | site map
© 2007