Council rejects plan to hike dog license fee
By Latisha R. Gray
Diversity Institute Fellow
08.12.03
Opponents of a bill to increase Davidson County’s dog license fee erupted in applause as Vice Mayor Howard Gentry announced that the measure failed 14-16 at Tuesday night’s Metro Council meeting.
Several opponents of the bill celebrated their victory outside the Ben West Library building, where the meeting was held.
“It’s a good thing that this bill failed,” said pet owner Patty VanSicklen. “But it’s an even better thing that now we have a forum for this issue.”
The bill, proposed by District 27 Councilwoman Janis Sontany, would have increased the current yearly license fee from $4 to $5 for neutered and spayed dogs and $20 for unaltered dogs.
Sontany said she proposed the bill to help curb the number of strays and unwanted animals that the city picks up each month. Spayed and neutered dogs are less likely to attack or roam in packs, she said.
“We have an animal overpopulation problem in this city,” she said. “We kill almost 10,000 dogs per (year). This could cut that number down dramatically.”
But not all dog owners and veterinarians agreed.
The Nashville Veterinary Medical Association issued a statement expressing its discontent with the bill.
Dr. Carter Butler of Harpeth Hills Small Animal Hospital said that the bill would have required veterinarians to enforce and administrate the collection of the fees.
“It’s easy for them to consider a bill like this when we are the collectors,” he said. “The problems in Davidson County are much larger than this. This differential fee is just a drop in the bucket.”
Butler and others said Davidson County’s seven field officers are not enough to enforce animal legislation. Cities similar in size, such as Charlotte, N.C., have 39 full-time field officers.
Revenue collected from licensing dogs should go back to animal services programs, Butler said. The city collected more than $243,000 last year in revenue from dog license fees, which are funneled into Metro’s general fund, said Brent Hager, director of the city’s Bureau of Environmental Health Services.
Brent Hager, director of the city’s Bureau of Environmental Health Services,
“That’s why animal services should be taken away from the health department,” Butler said. “The Health Department cares more about humans than the animals. But they won’t let it go.”
Although Sontany pushed the bill, she agreed with Butler that the health department needs revamping.
“The health department has no value for animals,” she said. “We need to remove animal control from the health department and put it in the police department.”
For most dog owners, the issue goes beyond fees and legislation. The most important thing, according to pet owner Jackie Jones, is taking care of your pet.
“People don’t take their responsibilities serious,” she said. “When you get a pet you make a commitment to be responsible and if you cannot do that then you should pay.”