Post by Brooke on Jul 29, 2004 23:13:27 GMT -5
Animal Services targets unlicensed pets' owners
Officers roam neighborhoods
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By Rebecca Neal
rneal@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
By Keith Williams, The Courier-Journal
Richard Price of Metro Animal Services talked to James Thomas about the need for Thomas to license his two dogs. "There needs to be more enforcement," Thomas said.
Officers from Metro Animal Services walked through neighborhoods earlier this week, knocking on doors in search of people who haven't licensed their pets.
"Some people will license their pets every year, but this is an effort to have those that don't comply with the law," said Eric Blow, director of the agency.
Animal Services Capt. Ann Camp and Officer Richard Price were among those looking for violators in Valley Station. They walked Millers Lane and other streets, looking for signs of pets.
Camp said they stop at homes with pet fences, doghouses, chew toys, bowls or "Beware of Dog" signs.
"For the most part, people are happy we're checking and looking out for them," Camp said.
Owners without pet licenses can be subject to a $20 violation, a $10 late fee per pet and the license fee. If a license is not purchased within a week of the citation, owners could have to appear in court and could be liable for up to $122.50 in court costs.
Licenses are $7 for a spayed or neutered animal and $35 for one that is not. Senior citizens can license their pets for $4. All cats and dogs more than 4 months old must have a rabies vaccination to be licensed.
Price issued one citation, to James Thomas, who had two unlicensed dogs. Thomas said he didn't mind the unexpected visit and expense.
"We need the rabies vaccine to make sure everyone is taken care of," he said. "There needs to be more enforcement."
The officers left notes on the doors of homes with evidence of pets. The notes explained the need for licensing and said the officers would follow up to be sure all pets are licensed.
Licensing pets provides many benefits, Blow said. For one thing, increasing the number of pets with licenses would mean more of them are getting vaccinated for rabies, he said.
"You have to have the vaccine to get a license, so the number of licenses equals the degree of protection the community has," Blow said.
Licenses also help with identification if pets are lost, he said.
Enforcing the license requirement also helps the department's bottom line, he said. About two-thirds of the department's budget comes from general tax revenue, and about 60 percent of Louisville's residents don't own a pet.
"A more proportionate share of that cost should be levied at pet owners," Blow said.
About a fourth of all pet owners license their animals every year, he said. Last year, 13,733 cats and 46,156 dogs were licensed in Jefferson County.
The officers also visited streets in Newburg and the Bardstown Road area, and said they will cover other territories over the next few weeks.
The crackdown on violators comes after the end of the service's license-amnesty program, which allowed owners of unlicensed pets to remedy the situation in April and May without paying a penalty.
www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/07/24ky/B1-pets0724-5184.html
Officers roam neighborhoods
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Rebecca Neal
rneal@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
By Keith Williams, The Courier-Journal
Richard Price of Metro Animal Services talked to James Thomas about the need for Thomas to license his two dogs. "There needs to be more enforcement," Thomas said.
Officers from Metro Animal Services walked through neighborhoods earlier this week, knocking on doors in search of people who haven't licensed their pets.
"Some people will license their pets every year, but this is an effort to have those that don't comply with the law," said Eric Blow, director of the agency.
Animal Services Capt. Ann Camp and Officer Richard Price were among those looking for violators in Valley Station. They walked Millers Lane and other streets, looking for signs of pets.
Camp said they stop at homes with pet fences, doghouses, chew toys, bowls or "Beware of Dog" signs.
"For the most part, people are happy we're checking and looking out for them," Camp said.
Owners without pet licenses can be subject to a $20 violation, a $10 late fee per pet and the license fee. If a license is not purchased within a week of the citation, owners could have to appear in court and could be liable for up to $122.50 in court costs.
Licenses are $7 for a spayed or neutered animal and $35 for one that is not. Senior citizens can license their pets for $4. All cats and dogs more than 4 months old must have a rabies vaccination to be licensed.
Price issued one citation, to James Thomas, who had two unlicensed dogs. Thomas said he didn't mind the unexpected visit and expense.
"We need the rabies vaccine to make sure everyone is taken care of," he said. "There needs to be more enforcement."
The officers left notes on the doors of homes with evidence of pets. The notes explained the need for licensing and said the officers would follow up to be sure all pets are licensed.
Licensing pets provides many benefits, Blow said. For one thing, increasing the number of pets with licenses would mean more of them are getting vaccinated for rabies, he said.
"You have to have the vaccine to get a license, so the number of licenses equals the degree of protection the community has," Blow said.
Licenses also help with identification if pets are lost, he said.
Enforcing the license requirement also helps the department's bottom line, he said. About two-thirds of the department's budget comes from general tax revenue, and about 60 percent of Louisville's residents don't own a pet.
"A more proportionate share of that cost should be levied at pet owners," Blow said.
About a fourth of all pet owners license their animals every year, he said. Last year, 13,733 cats and 46,156 dogs were licensed in Jefferson County.
The officers also visited streets in Newburg and the Bardstown Road area, and said they will cover other territories over the next few weeks.
The crackdown on violators comes after the end of the service's license-amnesty program, which allowed owners of unlicensed pets to remedy the situation in April and May without paying a penalty.
www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/07/24ky/B1-pets0724-5184.html