Virginia to curb unlicensed dogs

Washington Times ^ | 8-8-06 | Metro

[JZelle]

SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. (AP) -- Bonnie Winstead's poodle, Jackson, is off the grid: unlicensed and untagged. "It's my dog. It's my business," says Miss Winstead, who vaccinates her dog but objects to paying Spotsylvania County to license him.

[palmer]

The law requires veterinarians to forward information to their county treasurer on each dog vaccinated for rabies.

Result: more rabid dogs.

[Darteaus94025]

Looks like Hillary won't be dropping by.

[CJ Wolf]

Now it will cost more to track the dogs then the revenue garnered from licenses. Next year fee will go up.

[palmer]

From the article: The result, he said, will be that some people may avoid the veterinarian altogether so they don't end up in the database.

[zek157]

I'll pay w/cash and not present ID. No problem.

[from occupied ga]

But it's for the children, and if it saves one life it will be worth it.

[308MBR]

Like a scrap of paper generated from some government trash department makes your dog safer. ROTFLMFAO!

It must be the same phenomenon of how Xanax doesn't have any deleterious effects on people who have a prescription.

[meandog]

Result: more rabid dogs.

How so?

[meandog]

Each year I go down to my courthouse and pay the $5 registration fee. BFD! The fee goes to support animal shelters and is less of a burden on county residents who don't have a dog! My only criticism of this miniscule tax is that CAT OWNERS ARE EXEMPTED from it!

[GovernmentShrinker]

As an owner of 4 free-roaming cats, I have to agree with you. Although it's exceptionally rare for a cat to launch an unprovoked attack on a human, they do get lost (or dumped) and end up in animal shelters, and if not spayed/neutered can reproduce at a rate approaching light speed. They are also, like dogs, potential rabies carriers. I'm sure the expense incurred by local governments for running animal shelters, employing animal control officers, and rabies-control measures is to a significant degree attributable to cats.

And all pet owners should appreciate the services that local governments provide and/or subsidize that give lost animals a good chance of being reunited with their owners and ensure that most lost or injured animals are treated humanely even if they can't be saved or reunited with owners. I remember a few years back leaving my apartment in NYC one morning, and seeing 2 regular NYPD officers attending to a dog (a Boxer) who had been hit by a car and sustained serious but not life-threatening injury to his jaw and teeth. The officers were stroking and reassuring the dog while a sedative they'd injected took effect. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that NYPD officers carry such supplies in squad cars and are trained to handle situations like this so well. This dog didn't look like a stray, and was most likely reunited with its owner.

[Tallguy]

The only thing that really bothers me about this is that it's another database that the State will be tempted to sell or lease to private companies (to raise a few bucks) or to abuse in their own way. It'll be like the gun buyer database that the PA State Police maintain (illegally, I might add).

[ecurbh]

Ping...

[HairOfTheDog]

Ruh roh... If you live in Virginia, your dog now has a big brother...

Ping!

Other articles with keyword "DOGGIEPING" since 12/29/04

[palmer]

I have 4 cats too, 2 inherited from the previous property owner. I would readily pay $5 a piece although none wear collars. I get all their shots and grab any strays I catch to bring in for shots and neutering. The problem is some people won't bring their dogs in if they think the county might ban their breed or mix.

[Gabz]

Nanny State Ping..........

I live in Virginia, have a dog, and a whole mess of barn cats.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think that's a fair assessment of the risk. People won't get the shots, and while I don't know how common rabies is there (It's not common here), you'll have a lot more puppies die of Parvo at the very least.

I've been boycotting our county licensing since they decided to extort people with unaltered pets by charging $80 to license them, while I think spayed/neutered animals were $10. While I understand their motivation to decrease unwanted populations, I abhor 'sin fees' to extort people into good behavior. I had a Labrador male I was showing, and he was never bred, never created one pup that would add to their load, and was never licensed.

[Gabz]

The problem is some people won't bring their dogs in if they think the county might ban their breed or mix.

Do you blame them?

There are plenty of places my 3 year old Lab/chow mix would not be welcome.

She's currently curled up next to my chair. The poor thing is lonely because my 8yo daughter isn't home, she's been at a friend's house since last evening, the poor dog doesn't know what's going on.

[Gabz]

I abhor 'sin fees' to extort people into good behavior.

Then you understand why I pinged my nanny-state list!

[palmer]

I don't blame them at all. The rabies and other important shots need to be anonymous, not tied to licensing.