Photo: Flickr Creative Commons
Beginning Tuesday, May 24, Animal Control Officers began visiting residents of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, educating them about the benefits and requirements of licensing all dogs and cats over four months of age.
The mandatory annual licenses ($16 for cats and $27 for dogs) are a product of bylaws that were passed to help increase funding for food and shelter for strays, subsidized spay/neuter programs for low-income families, safe and easy return of lost pets to their owners, creation and maintenance of off-leash recreation areas, and services to deal with dangerous animals. Animal Services says their intention is to eventually make the program completely self-sustaining through licensing revenue, and remove the program from the tax base. The licenses can be purchased at City Hall, the Saskatoon Animal Control Agency, the SPCA and participating veterinary clinics and pet supply stores.
The Animal Control Officers plan to address these benefits, along with other responsible pet ownership topics, when they speak to residents on their door-to-door campaign. Officers will spot-check for licenses throughout the year; an unlicensed pet will result in a $250 fine.
Shared. What a great idea!
Shared. What a great idea!
Here in the county of Michigan I live in, they started requiring license for cats (even if they were indoor) about twelve years ago. Apparently the reasoning was because counties in southern Michigan were having out breaks of rabies, the officials decided to try preventing the spread in our county by requiring licensing of cats — which required they get rabes shots.