By Nicole June
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – As part of a plan to update current animal regulations, Montgomery County Animal Care and Control (MCAC) has proposed requiring pet owners to obtain yearly licenses.
The licenses would be purchased at the beginning of each year for $10 per pet. These purchases are tax-deductible. Pet owners would need to to provide proof of rabies vaccinations, which is already a requirement in the county.
Citizens would have to pay $25 per pet for dogs and cats that are not spayed or neutered. Those who own in excess of seven pets could apply for a multi-pet permit.
Under the proposed regulation, each pet would receive a special tag when licensed, allowing Animal Control officers to identify individual animals and their owners.
For instance, if a pet goes missing and is found by an Animal Control officer, the officer would read the tag and take the pet back to its home address at no cost to the pet owner.
Officers would also be able to tell if the animal is current on its rabies vaccinations during biting incidents.
MCAC Director Jeanette Farrell said the licensing process has already been successfully implemented in other areas in Tennessee.
“A lot of the counties that have these programs in place can become self-sufficient and don’t need to ask tax payers for more money,” she said.
Farrell stressed that the money gained from this program would directly benefit the animals. She said funding from the program could potentially reduce euthanasia rates, help end animal suffering, and provide free spay/neuter services for low-income owners.
“If we keep going at this rate, all the shelter will be doing is endlessly euthanizing with no resources to focus on spaying and neutering, which is the only way to end the out of control pet population,” she said.
Farrell presented her plan the the County Commission this week. She hopes it can be passed in time to begin the program on January 1, 2017.
“It would be wonderful to see Montgomery County have the lowest euthanasia rate in the entire state and be a role model for all the other shelters because of a program like this.”