CC_Minutes_2007_0917 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

2 Recent studies of pet relinquishment have revealed that people often give up their pets because of behavior problems; rental-housing restrictions; changes in lifestyle attributed to moving or the birth of a child; human health problems such as allergies and diseases that weaken the immune system; and commitment problems that derive from unrealistic expectations on the part of the pet owner. Today, the demographics of local animal populations vary considerably among different regions of the countryBand sometimes even among neighboring jurisdictions. The specific animal shelter demographics of a community depend on variables such as income and education levels, regional cultural beliefs, and whether the community has invested in the LES formula in previous decades. The challenge for communities is analyzing those demographics and tailoring solutions to meet their specific needs. Public policy to promote spaying and neutering .(differential licensing)- Mandatory registration helps promote spaying and neutering when higher fees are charged to register unsterilized animals. Called differential licensing (or registration), this policy provides an important incentive for pet owners to have their animals sterilized. At the same time, it penalizes those pet owners who allow their pets to add to the surplus of companion animals. According to HSUS estimates, over 80 percent of counties and cities in the United States have differential registration fees in place. Twelve states require that local governments impose at least a minimal differential in their registration fee structures. The experience of hundreds of counties and cities has substantiated the logic behind differential licensing. Actual fees vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but most have altered- animal registration fees in the $4 to $7 range and unaltered-animal registration fees in the $10- $15 range. Recent years, however, have seen a trend toward increasing the differentials. King County, Washington, for example, has one of the nation's highest differentials: Registering a sterilized animal costs $10, and registering an unsterilized animal costs $55. Instituted in 1992, this differential, coupled with a strong animal control ordinance and an aggressive registration-promotion program, has ted to a dramatic increase in pet registrations":