The Pet Adoption Center has various programs designed to help both animals and people. We are constantly looking for ways to better serve the community and help more animals. One very positive change we have made in the last few months is the introduction of the “Differential Licensing” program. Previously, licenses for all dogs and cats cost the same, regardless of whether the animal was altered or unaltered. Now the spayed and neutered animals remain at the low licensing fee of $5.00 and those animals that are not spayed or neutered are a $10.00 licensing fee. The objective of a differential licensing program is to promote spaying and neutering by giving owners a financial incentive to do so. It also gives local veterinarians a tool to encourage their clients to spay and neuter. Differential licensing is not a new concept and has been done with impressive results in many other communities throughout the United States.
There are several good reasons to promote pet licensing programs, some of which are:
- Public Health – Animal licensing is an excellent rabies vaccination compliance tool. License tags are only issued once the pet has been vaccinated for rabies. Because rabies still occurs in wildlife and pets can be exposed, it is important that owners vaccinate pets regularly to protect the pets and their owners. Continuous license/vaccination programs over the years are the primary reason we have been able to control the spread of rabies in most of our communities. Once contracted, rabies is nearly always fatal. Dog bites still occur far too often and are a serious concern, but with wide spread rabies vaccinations the concern is with injury rather than disease.
- Reuniting lost pets and owners – Thousands of animals end up in shelters every year simply because they wandered away from home. Animal control officers routinely pick up strays and many are found by concerned citizens and taken to shelters. Many people never find their lost pets. When an animal is licensed and wearing the tag, it has a 99% chance of being reunited with its owner.
- Improved service – Having a central database not only helps locate owners of lost dogs, but also allows animal control and health officials quick and easy access to detailed vaccination information. Animal control officers can easily determine if loose dogs or aggressive dogs have a current vaccination. A differential tag will show at a glance if the animal is spayed or neutered.
- Encouraging Spaying and Neutering of Pets – Differential licensing can help alleviate problems associated with pet overpopulation by giving veterinarians and shelters an opportunity to educate owners about the importance of spaying and neutering. Altered pets are more likely to live a longer, healthier life. Spaying and neutering is the reliable cure for numerous health and behavior problems such as certain common types of cancer, spraying, roaming and fighting.