MOORPARK : Council to Consider Cat Registrations
Moorpark could become the first city in Ventura County to require cats to be licensed in the same way as dogs under an ordinance to be considered by the City Council tonight.
The new law, slated to go into effect Oct. 31 if it receives the council’s approval, would require all cat owners to register their pets in an effort to raise funds, make it easier to locate lost pets and cut down on the number of animals that are destroyed each year.
“This is the right thing to do, environmentally and financially,” Councilman Scott Montgomery said Tuesday.
The city now uses the money from dog licensing to cover most of the cost of the contract with Ventura County Animal Regulation, which provides care for lost or abandoned animals in the city.
But because the county agency now spends more time dealing with stray and missing cats than dogs, Montgomery said it is only fair that cat owners register their pets and contribute to the fund.
Montgomery said he will suggest that pet owners pay a registration fee of $7.50 for cats that have been spayed or neutered and $25 for others. This is the same fee the city now imposes on dog owners.
The council will discuss the matter at its meeting beginning at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 799 Moorpark Ave.
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