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Alicia C.
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Posted: Jul 20th, 2007 09:31 pm |
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The Guilford County Department of Health is looking at imposing a $20 per year per animal license on Guilford County pet owners.
Proponents believe that it will:
--bring in money to help pay for another Animal Control officer and vehicle to help enforce current laws and investigate reports.
--bring in money to help provide more low-cost spay/neuter options.
--bring in money to help provide more low-cost rabies clinics.
--encourage pet owners to spay/neuter as well as comply with state law requiring rabies vaccinations. (A $5 discount would be applied to licenses for spayed/neutered pets.)
--encourage pet owners to microchip their pets. (A $5 discount would be applied to licenses for microchipped pets.)
--bring in money for community education projects on the importance of spay/neuter and vaccinations.
Opponents believe:
--it is another form of taxation targeting pet owners.
--it is a way of requiring responsible pet owners who spay/neuter and vaccinate their pets to subsidize those who are irresponsible about their pet's care.
--it might possibly open a door to things like mandatory spay/neuter laws.
--it is simply another source of revenue for the county that might or might not actually be spent on behalf of animals in Guilford County
--it will discourage rabies vaccinations as well as spay/neuter. (Rationale: If the county uses rabies certificates as a means of billing pet owners for the yearly license, people who don't want to pay the tax will not have their pets vaccinated against rabies. Someone who does not have their pet vaccinated against rabies will have a hard time finding a veterinarian who will operate on that animal, and will certainly not be able to take advantage of the currently available low-cost spay/neuter clinics, and thus the animal could contribute to the pet overpopulation issues--as well as the rabies issue.)
Do you think a yearly pet license will encourage more compliance with state law requiring rabies vaccinations?
Do you think it will encourage more people to spay/neuter their pets?
Do you think it will encourage more people to make use of microchipping for pets?
Please share your opinions. I'm looking at this from both a reporter's persepective and a private citizen/pet owner's perspective. (Okay, more like the perspective of one who is owned by the pets, but my pets - 2 dogs, 4 cats, 1 rowdy rabbit - are very good about letting me get away with saying that *I* own them.) I'm a big believer in spay/neuter. Even my rabbit is spayed. I'm a big believer in providing pets with appropriate identification. I'm a big believer in vaccinating, especially against rabies. However, having said that, I must add that I moved here 8 years ago from a city where pet licensing was mandatory and I saw no evidence whatsoever that the money I paid in each year was benefitting the city/county animals. I'm on the fence about this, frankly. I do think there needs to be a major push for rabies vaccinations, but I'm not sure that requiring those who are already compliant with state law to pay an extra $10-20 per year is the way to do it.
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's response on this issue.
Alicia C.
currently pinned to her chair by a snoozing Chihuahua
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BreBre
Member
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Posted: Jul 21st, 2007 01:21 am |
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I personally think it will be another form of taxation. Another way for the county to dip into our pockets. The only thing I think it will encourage people to do is not adopt any pets.(which is sad) The questions I have about it are:
How would they go about taxing the pet owners of Guilford county?
Would the veterinary clinics have to turn their records over to the county so they could have the names of people that do own pets?
Would they be getting taxed immediately?
What if you didn't pay the tax?
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Alicia C.
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Posted: Jul 21st, 2007 05:16 pm |
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You present good questions, BreBre. As I understand it, the way the county would acquire information on pets/owners would be through the veterinary records. I lived in Charlotte (Mecklenburg County) for many years, and even worked for a veterinarian. The rabies certificate books had 3-page forms. One copy of the certificate went home with the owner, one copy stayed at the vet's office and one copy went to the county.
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S. Smith
Moderator
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Posted: Jul 22nd, 2007 02:56 pm |
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It seems to me that only the people who are already responsilble about their pet ownership would pay. In other words, if you get your pet vaccinated for rabies, have it spayed/neutered, etc., you would probably pay the fee.
I'm curious to know about enforcement. How would they enforce this other than they could fine the owners animals they catch running around loose if they weren't licensed? And what if they don't pay? Would the owner be subject to additional fines, being put in jail, etc.? I know animal control is already stretched thin, and it seems like it would be a lot more work for their officers. (Of course, if this brought in a lot of money, maybe they could hire more officers.)
Like other taxes, I'm not automatically opposed to paying IF I feel like I'm getting something for it. If I knew all the money would go back to animal control/animal shelter, I'd be more likely to be in support. But if the county commisioners wanted to use the money for other purposes, which I fear they would, then no.
I also think $20 is a pretty big cost. People would probably more supportive if the fee wasn't so high.
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darrelldawg
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Posted: Jul 23rd, 2007 03:40 am |
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those microchips stick in my teeth. how bout a big bowl of Doritos with cheese dip! you can buy a lot of dogfood for $20.00!
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GRITS
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Posted: Jul 23rd, 2007 12:43 pm |
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Randolph County enforces a pet taxation, and if I remember correctly it used to be $5.00 a pet. Like Mecklenburg County the county obtains the information through the vet's office when the pet receives it's vaccinations. Twenty dollars a pet is steep and I agree, it would encourage more people to not adopt pet.
I fear this is another way for the county to fund euthanization.
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bama80
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Posted: Jul 23rd, 2007 01:10 pm |
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| yikes, whats next? Taxing you for the rain that falls on your house?!?!?
____________________
Roll Tide and Go Pack. Maybe or maybe not in that order. [insert profound quote here]
This post will self destruct in 10.......9......8....
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StewartM
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Posted: Jul 23rd, 2007 01:21 pm |
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| Bama thats already done in Greensboro......
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JamesAttaway
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Posted: Jul 23rd, 2007 01:36 pm |
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I fear only the already good and responsible pet caretakers (dont"like the word owner) will pay the taxes, It might be a ploy to add money to the general fund.There are already to many taxes to pay now!
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"EVERYBODY IS SOMEBODY IN STOKESDALE"
http://www.attawaystokesdale.bravehost.com
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Hairbrush
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Posted: Jul 23rd, 2007 01:56 pm |
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| My sister and I manage a fairly large feral cat population. Through the years we have managed to spay and neuter all but maybe one tom and one female. We try to find the kittens and a very young age and catch them. We then tame them get them fixed and if possible find them homes and if not they stay on the farm. We keep them dewormed and vaccinated. If we had to pay a 20 fee for every cat we had we would go broke. We would have to seriously start thinking about whether we could afford to continue to maintain this rather large herd. It takes a small fortune now to just keep them healthy. Well okay maybe we do spoil them just a little but they are pretty darn cute.
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bama80
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Posted: Jul 23rd, 2007 02:34 pm |
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StewartM wrote: Bama thats already done in Greensboro......
haha I was aware of that. I lived in Greensboro when they started it.
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Roll Tide and Go Pack. Maybe or maybe not in that order. [insert profound quote here]
This post will self destruct in 10.......9......8....
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ff12
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Posted: Jul 29th, 2007 03:46 am |
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How about if your pet is vaccinated you do not have to pay anything if you get caught with an unvaccinated pet you pay 20.00? And the burden would be on the county to prove the pet was yours and not vaccinated.
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Alicia C.
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Posted: Jul 29th, 2007 03:56 am |
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If your dog/cat is picked up by Animal Control and taken to the shelter, I believe you must provide proof of current rabies vaccinations or pay for the animal to be vaccinated before you get it back. That is, if you want it back. The shelter is full of unwanted animals, some surrendered and some just found and never claimed. :-(
ff12 wrote: How about if your pet is vaccinated you do not have to pay anything if you get caught with an unvaccinated pet you pay 20.00? And the burden would be on the county to prove the pet was yours and not vaccinated.
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