Irving dog and cat owners must register their pets
March 22nd, 2008 Posted in Pet GamesIrving dog and cat owners will soon have to register their pets with the city or face Class C misdemeanor charges. But officials say a pet ordinance that takes effect June 1 isn’t about handing out citations or collecting court fees.
The aim is to reunite more lost pets with their owners and continue driving down the rate of animals the Irving Animal Shelter euthanizes.
“The reality is animals get put to sleep because they don’t have identifications,” said animal services manager Fred Sanderson.
Animals in the city’s shelter were euthanized in 2005 at a rate of about 70 percent. Mr. Sanderson said that number has since dropped to 20 percent. The shelter takes in a variety of animals, not just typical household pets. Euthanized animals, Mr. Sanderson said, includes wildlife.
The municipal shelter weathered a storm of criticism before Mr. Sanderson took over the department, particularly in 2006 when animal advocates blasted the shelter’s hesitation in turning over a malnourished dog to a rescue group for medical treatment. The shelter eventually gave the dog to advocates, who complained it was treated inhumanely. Since then, shelter volunteers and city officials say changes have been made that have turned things around.
“What we discovered is we were under-resourced and understaffed and poorly trained,” said city council member Joe Philipp. “That’s no way to run a humane pet program.”
There’s been a near-total turnover in staff at the shelter. A full-time veterinarian and veterinarian technician now work at the shelter and help make sure most pets brought in are spayed or neutered and vaccinated. And a new voter-approved $6 million shelter is set to open next year.
“Whatever’s occurred in the past, the city of Irving has stepped up to the plate and is turning us into a modern organization,” Mr. Sanderson said.
The registration fees are tiered and offer lower costs to pet owners who have their animals implanted with an identification microchip and to those who have them sterilized. Officials hope this will spur owners to use microchips in addition to city registration, because chips help identify animals whose collars or tags are missing.
The City Council last week unanimously approved the ordinance requiring registration. Mr. Sanderson said animal services officers will push voluntary compliance with the new laws before they hand out citations to violators. A third-party company will handle registration, renewal notices and maintenance of a pet owner database.
“It helps us keep up with the pets and gives us a little more control over loose dogs,” city council member Lewis Patrick said.
Tags: animal shelter, animals, class c misdemeanor, dogs, household pets, Pet, pet owners, pets, sleep, spayed or neutered, vet, veterinarianRelated posts
Tags: animal shelter, animals, class c misdemeanor, dogs, household pets, Pet, pet owners, pets, sleep, spayed or neutered, vet, veterinarian
