‘Dog police’ start to prowl

Pasadena and South Pasadena are stepping up enforcement of dog license laws by authorizing Pasadena Humane Society workers to conduct door-to-door compliance checks.

Under a three-year contract approved by the Pasadena City Council last week, the Humane Society will take over the city’s dog licensing program and will begin to check for licenses in June.

South Pasadena leaders approved a similar contract on Wednesday that turns over management of dog licenses to the Humane Society on Oct. 1. Following a community outreach campaign, animal control officers could begin knocking on doors as early as mid-November, said South Pasadena Police Chief Joe Payne.

Some city leaders expect residents to be apprehensive about the new canvassing program and warned that it should not be intrusive or harsh.

“This is going to be like the dog police. It’s not going to be received very well at all, at least with people I know,” Pasadena City Councilwoman Margaret McAustin said. “When people are approached about whether their dog is licensed … they shouldn’t get a ticket right off the bat.”

Owners of unlicensed dogs will have a 30-day grace period to obtain licenses before receiving citations, said Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA Senior Vice President Elizabeth Richer Campo.

Officials say low rates of compliance make greater enforcement necessary.

Pasadena is home to more than 47,000 dogs, but as few as 7,800 are licensed, said Pasadena Humane Society spokeswoman Ricky Whitman. About 10% of South Pasadena’s roughly 5,500 dogs have licenses, according to the society.

Licenses certify that dogs have received anti-rabies vaccinations and assist in returning lost dogs to their owners, said Whitman.

Pasadena also uses license information to maintain a database of dogs’ breeds, whether they are spayed or neutered, where they live, and who their owners are.

Pasadena does not regulate dogs by breed, but the city’s Public Safety Commission is expected to discuss potential regulations for pit bulls and other so-called bully breeds at an Oct. 1 meeting.

Costs for dog licenses range from $13 to $26 in Pasadena and from $10 to $30 in South Pasadena.

Under the new agreements, the Humane Society will return half of annual license revenue above $87,000 to Pasadena coffers and half the amount above $15,000 to South Pasadena.

A nonprofit shelter that contracts with seven cities for animal control and rescue services, the Humane Society proposed the new procedures in lieu of passing on increased costs to cash-strapped city governments, said Campo.

Pasadena pays $93,000 per month for animal control services and South Pasadena pays about $10,000.

The Humane Society also handles animal control calls in San Marino, La Cañada Flintridge, Sierra Madre, Arcadia and Glendale. It has taken over dog licensing in each of those cities except Glendale.

Payne said canvassing in South Pasadena would proceed with a light touch.

“They’re not going to be peeking in windows and doors … [or] stopping people walking their dogs. It’s going to be very low-key,” he said.

Pasadena’s contract also calls for patrols of the city’s off-leash dog park behind Vina Vieja Park for at least two hours per week to enforce park rules.

Dog park users were welcoming of patrols but divided over license canvassing.

“Dogs should be licensed, but the idea of a knock on the door is off-putting,” said Fina Tejada, a Pasadena artist who visited the park with her terrier, Ouiser.

Bill Varlas, a Sierra Madre resident with a Labrador named Apollo, said he suspected the real goal of the program is to raise revenue, but he “wouldn’t mind if they reinvested the money in something that helped animals.”