Cash-strapped Los Angeles going after unlicensed dogs to raise funds
Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 09:26AM LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cash-strapped Los Angeles is going to the dogs — literally.
The City Council voted Tuesday to have two departments share information in order to track down people who haven't licensed their pets.
Council President Eric Garcetti estimates two-thirds of the city's dogs are unlicensed. Licenses cost $15 for a sterilized dog and $100 for an unaltered pet.
Getting all dogs licensed would mean at least an additional $3.6 million in fees to the city.
The Department of Animal Services has eight full-time people whose job is to find and license dogs. The Department of Water and Power keeps a meter-reader database of homes with dogs. The council ordered the departments to coordinate to find the pooches.
Dog Regulations Run Amok? The CDOC vs The City of Los Angeles
No area of the law
or regulation creates more controversy and passion then anything linked to dogs, cats and other domestic pets and the lawsuit brought by Concerned Dog Owners of California (CDOC) against the City of Los Angeles over their mandatory spay and neuter regulations is no exception. Last year they filed a lawsuit to overturn the mandatory spay and neuter regulations imposed on all dog owners in the City, in which set dates for spay and neuter are established, civil and administrative penalties are outlined and entire categories of dog breeders, owners and hobbyists now fall under increasingly strict laws and oversight.
The questions raised in the suit look at the constitutional right of free association, the body of law in California regarding the right of the state to regulate animal ownership and standards and whether these regulations overreach in their goals to reduce the number of dogs and cats euthanized in shelters throughout the city. We asked Attorney John Jensen, who is bringing this case, to join us in studio, along with Cathie Turner, the chairperson of CDOC, to explain why they brought this suit, the perceived issues at stake and the relative merits of their case. We are also joined by David Frie, the voice of the annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show to discuss the historic roles of breed and kennel clubs in protecting dogs, avoiding needless euthanization of animals, as well as a look at some of the issues surrounding this growing national movement to increasingly regulate dog ownership.
