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Dog-license dodgers could be hit harder
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - December 08, 2010)
Dog-license dodgers could be hit harder
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Those who fail to get a dog license in Geauga County could be paying more in the future.
Matt Granito, Geauga County dog warden, told Geauga County Commissioners last week that he is planning a cost analysis of his operations. He said he anticipates having the study completed in about 1 1/2 weeks.
The study will enable his office to better gauge what the actual costs are for running the county shelter and enable him to revise fees and penalties to better reflect those costs, he said. People who fail to register their dogs will be asked to pay their share, he said.
Mr. Granito said the county kennel has evolved from one that simply catches stray dogs and holds them into one that now provides medical care. Vaccinations are a regular part of the care provided to dogs taken in and often become necessary when a dog is not licensed, he said.
He said those dogs that are licensed and picked up as strays can be checked for medical histories, often allowing staff to forego the vaccinations. However, when a dog is not licensed, Mr. Granito said, his office has no way of knowing whether they have been vaccinated and the vaccinations must be done. That, in turn, costs the taxpayers more because of the expense involved.
Currently, he said, a dog license costs $10 annually. Those who fail to register their dogs after Feb. 1, pay an additional $10 penalty.
When a stray is picked up, Mr. Granito said, the owner is charged a $20 fee if the dog is licensed and $30 if unlicensed when they come to claim them. He said those fees may be revised because costs for picking up a stray actually can run about $60 to $70.
Mr. Granito said he hears on a regular basis from those that have unregistered dogs that they will take the chance of paying the additional money rather than the $10 registration fee.
But, he said, that only adds to the cost of his operations. When a unlicensed stray is found, not only are the vaccinations added to the cost, but also generally longer stays.
It costs approximately $15 per day for each dog housed at the shelter. However, dog owners now pay only $5 for each day, Mr. Granito said. Unlicensed strays, he said, generally stay longer because their home cannot be quickly ascertained, costing the taxpayer more.
Registered dogs, even without a license on them, can generally be placed back in the home quicker because records can show give staff an idea of where they may have come from.
Mr. Granito said it is estimated that Geauga County has approximately 14,000 registered dogs and another 1,500 unregistered.
Because funding for operations comes from the $10 fee, he said, his office is losing out on approximately $15,000 a year from those unwilling to register.
The kennel takes in about 700 dogs each year with about 96 percent either returned to their homes or adopted. He said a small portion of those cannot be placed because of aggressive behavior or medical issues.
Geauga County's kennel is among the top three in the state for finding homes for dogs, he said.
Most strays, he said, are found in the spring and fall. He said females go into heat in the spring and people are more likely to open their doors to let dogs wander when the warm weather hits. Dogs also tend to begin wandering and scavenging during the fall, a normal behavior for animals looking to bulk up before winter. He said dogs can get lost easily when a snowstorm strikes and they lose the scent back to their homes.
While the increased fees will add to the kennel's coffers, Mr. Granito said, registrations also are better for the dogs.
"I'm hoping people get responsible and register their dogs," he said. "For $10 a year, you just might save a dog's life."
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