[ SHOWGSD-L ] MO,Kansas City-Animal control officers will go door-to-door to check for animal licenses

From: Stormy Hope <Stormy435@xxxxxxx>
To: Showgsd-l list <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 08:31:44 -0700
http://www.kcfreepress.com/news/2010/may/05/kcmo-will-enforce-pet-licensing-odinance/
KCMO begins enforcing mandatory pet registration

Animal control officers will go door-to-door to check for animal  
licenses


By Emily Farris
Wednesday, May 5, 2010

David Goodwin didn't know he was supposed to register his two Boxer- 
mix puppies with the city when he got them a little over a year ago.  
He assumed that when he had them fixed and got all of their shots,  
he'd done everything right. "I had no idea that we hadn't paid certain  
things," he said.

Those certain things could end up costing Goodwin $150 in fines if he  
happens to live in one of the city's targeted areas for animal  
licensing enforcement.

Today, Kansas City, Mo. will begin enforcing an ordinance that  
requires all residents to license their cats, dogs and ferrets (yes,  
ferrets, too). Animal control officers will knock on doors every  
Wednesday through September 1, asking people if their furry friends  
are licensed. And if pet owners can't show proof of registration, they  
could be fined $75.

KCMO pet license enforcement schedule

http://www.kcfreepress.com/documents/2010/may/04/kcmo-pet-license-enforcement-schedule/
Download .PDF

While some pet owners may see this as a surprise enforcement of a law  
they didn't even know existed, or just another way for the city to  
make money, officials claim it's more of an awareness campaign.

"We want people to know," said Patrick Egberuare, Manager of the  
Animal Health and Public Safety Division at the Neighborhood and  
Community Services Department. "The whole idea is to get people to  
understand the ordinance. We don't want to fill up the shelter. The  
fewer animals we take to the shelter the better off we are, and the  
less expensive it will be for the animal owner."

If a pet gets loose and is picked up by the city, the impound fee for  
an animal is $100. And that's not counting daily boarding costs, and  
tickets for non-registered pets. It's a lot like what happens if your  
car gets towed. But unlike registering a car, no matter how fancy the  
breed, or whether the dog is a rescue or cost you thousands of  
dollars, licensing a pet is cheap. And easy.

Pet registration can be done through many veterinarians' offices and  
online. With proof of vaccines, the annual fee is $10 per pet if the  
animal is spayed or neutered and $33 for "unaltered" animals. With the  
license comes an identification tag ? which is partially the point,  
depending who you ask.

Ron Rutter, who lives north of the river, licensed his Irish  
Wolfhound, Maggie, shortly after he got her three years ago. He said  
he'd always known about the "long-standing" ordinance.

"I look at it as a way that the city picks up extra cash, but it also  
helps fund the animal control group and you know there's a certain  
benefit to it," Rutter said while Maggie played at Penn Valley Dog  
Park yesterday. "At least there's some identification so they can  
recognize and back-track through the files so you have a better chance  
of reclaiming your dog if it ever gets away from you."

Egberuare said the ordinance has been in place for as long as he can  
remember, but this is only the second year the city has done the door- 
to-door enforcement, and the first time it's been such a thorough  
process. Last year's initiative was a two-week test run.

"This is a good thing," said Ashlee Parker, Communications Manager at  
Wayside Waifs, a no-kill animal shelter in south Kansas City.  
"Hopefully this will reunite lost pets with their families. If the pet  
is registered and it ends up in a shelter, it's a partial ticket for  
that pet to go home.

"We just got a brand-new information packet from the city about this  
so we'll be reinforcing it during the adoption session," Parker said.  
"We will be encouraging every adopter who lives in KCMO to follow and  
comply with the law."
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[ SHOWGSD-L ] MO,Kansas City-Animal control officers will go door-to-door to check for animal licenses

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