County Animal Agency Urges Raise of Fees to Avoid Layoffs

In an effort to raise revenue and avoid layoffs, county animal control officials are asking supervisors to approve an increase in dog license fees and late renewal fees.

Director of Public Health Dr. L. Rex Ehling said the animal shelter program of the Health Care Agency uses fees to pay for much of its cost of caring for abandoned and mistreated animals and providing them with veterinary services.

In the fiscal year that started July 1, the fees are expected to bring in $3.1 million, with three-fourths of that coming from dog license and late renewal fees.

Raising the basic one-year dog license from $18 to $20 and the late fee from $10 to $15 will bring in another $277,680. Ehling said that will help the agency keep 16 positions it is otherwise scheduled to lose because of the county’s budget problems.

The fee for licenses of dogs that have been spayed or neutered will increase from $9 to $10, if the supervisors approve the increase Tuesday. The discounted fee for senior citizens obtaining dog licenses will go up from $5 to $6, and from the current $2.50 to $3 if the dogs are spayed or neutered.

The county program covers dogs owned by residents in unincorporated areas of the county and in the 17 county cities that contract with the county for animal control and animal shelter services.

The last increase in the dog license fee was in April, 1985, Ehling said. The late fee was raised last year.