7/25/13 Dog license options could cost county

  • By Nick Sabo
  • July 25, 2013
  • 390
                        
SUMMARY: Dog warden, auditor to see up-front costs to comply with three year, permanent tags Permanent dog licenses meant to make registering an animal more convenient for their owners is causing headaches for the dog warden and auditor’s office. Holmes County Auditor Jackie McKee and Dog Warden Katelyn Lehman said a law passed in the state biennial budget that offers options to a traditional one year tag could end up having a negative impact on their budgets. Also, the so-called ‘puppy mill’ bill is expected to take away $10,000 in revenues from the dog warden’s office, Lehman said, as certain dog kennels will be licensed through the Ohio Department of Agriculture, rather than locally. According to McKee, the new law allows Ohioans to purchase dog tags for a period of three years, or a permanent tag that is good for the life of the dog. Currently, the county offers a one year tag that must be renewed annually. The change in the law will result in up-front costs for software upgrades and materials, McKee said. The auditor’s office will have to keep records on three types of tags rather than one, McKee said, with additional software necessary to monitor such things as renewal dates. The materials for the permanent license will have to be tougher than the current, one year tag, Lehman said, which has to be durable enough to last the average life of a dog. The tags must be purchased by the auditor’s office in advance, McKee said, and it is unknown how popular the permanent tags will be. Therefor, McKee said she has no idea how many to order. To make things worse, McKee said, the law goes into effect on Aug. 31, giving her office, as well as Lehman’s, less than two months to prepare. “They don’t even have the rules written yet,” McKee said. “I need to know step by step how this applies to the county.” Lehman said she further expects to lose revenue from the state-issued kennel licenses for high volume breeders. A high volume breeder is defined as any kennel that produces nine litters or more in one year, or sells 60 puppies or more in a year, Lehman said. The state is to reimburse the dog warden $70 per license, the same amount the county currently charges for a kennel license. The $70 kennel license covers the kennel and up to five dogs. After the five dogs covered in the original license, the dog warden charges an additional $1 per dog at the kennel. The dog warden will lose the revenues from the additional licenses, Lehman said. She noted that the dog warden’s office, though a county entity, is funded solely through license fees and “any change in funding dramatically affects our office”. To help offset the loss in revenue, Lehman has asked the Holmes County Commissioners to increase fees. Lehman proposed increasing the 1 year license to $15 from $14 and proposed the three year license cost $45, the permanent $150, and raise the kennel license from $70 to $75. Commissioner Joe Miller said he will probably vote for the increases. “I never like to see rates go up (but) it’s a self-sustaining operation,” Miller said. “I personally wouldn’t have a problem with that.” All dogs three months and older are required to be licensed. The license allows the dog warden’s office to locate the dog owner and return it safely should the dog become lost or otherwise end up at the kennel, Lehman said. Lehman said the county’s kennel typically takes in 400 dogs per year, but less than 100 are returned to their owners. In most cases, dogs that are not returned are not licensed, Lehman said.


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