Advertisement

What are pet licenses for, and does your dog or cat really need one?

Do pet licenses matter? You may care if your buddy goes missing, or attacks another dog. (Thinkstock)
Do pet licenses matter? You may care if your buddy goes missing, or attacks another dog. (Thinkstock)

The licensing of dogs and cats in Toronto has become a snarly stand-off between pet owners who refuse to pay licensing fees and the city that continues to push the bylaw on them.

For years, the city has worked hard at promoting pet licensing with public awareness campaigns, graduated licensing fees, a mobile licensing truck and loyalty programs but compliance is dismally low. According to the Toronto Animal Services (TAS) website, estimates show that just 30 per cent of dogs and 10 per cent of cats in Toronto are licensed. That means in Toronto last year an estimated 128,205 cats and 127,377 dogs illegally roamed city streets, alleys and parks as unlicensed pets. And though 80,000 pet licences were issued last year, the city is aiming its sights higher this year and hoping for 100,000 pet licences.

“(The numbers are low) because there is a lack of information about what the fees go to support,” says TAS manager Elizabeth Glibbery. “People don’t understand the importance of licensing until they need it, until their pet bites another pet or they lose their dog or cat. Reuniting pets with owners is the number one priority for us.”

But many Torontonians think the city is barking up the wrong tree. They view licensing as a cash grab and refuse to bite, a not uncommon viewpoint among residents in many municipalities across Canada, where licensing rates are generally poor. Besides, if your pet is already microchipped or wears a rabies tag, paying the fee for a licence seems superfluous.

In an attempt to change public perception, TAS spent $150,000 this year and last on a public education campaign designed to address the commonly held belief that pet licensing is just a money grab. The ads appeared in transit shelters, online, newspapers and store posters. Titled Give Your Head a Shake, the campaign outlines how licensing fees go to animals in need.

The city collected $1.9-million in pet license fees last year. The fees go to reuniting dogs and owners; feeding, sheltering and sterilizing stray animals; rescuing homeless animals in need of veterinary care and teaching kids and teens animal safety.

The city’s relationship with compliant pet owners has been tenuous over the years. In 2011, the city considered halting pet licensing because the program wasn’t profitable. Discussion then centred on issuing lifetime licences rather than annual ones but the plan was abandoned. And in 2008, Toronto hired students to go door-to-door in search of outlaw cats and dogs, but the cost of enforcement was more than what licensing pulled in.

Licensing a dog in Toronto costs $25 per year, while the fee for a cat is $15, provided the animals are spayed or neutered. Fees jump considerably if they aren’t. Senior pet owners and low-income earners can receive a discounted fee. Owners can face a fine of $240 if they’re found to be in contravention of the bylaw. The bylaw is mainly enforced on a complaint basis.

“We also enforce unlicensed pets when doing patrols in parks where dogs are running off leash in areas not deemed an off leash park,” says Tammy Robbinson, a senior communication advisor with the city. “We have many residents and pet advocates who support pet licensing and want to see changes to the bylaw that will promote responsible pet ownership especially around dogs.”

TAS is stepping up efforts to tackle the problem by holding public consultations in September and October to explore responsible pet ownership, dangerous dogs and other behaviours that impact on the health and safety of the public.

In the meantime, the city continues to promote pet licensing via the following efforts:

  • TAS is launching a mobile spay neuter clinic in the fall, which will further support responsible pet ownership and licensing. More information will be available closer to the launch date, which is targeted for December.

  • The Chip Truck is a mobile licensing, rabies vaccine and microchip clinic for cats and dogs. Get all three for your dog for only $35 or your cat for just $25. Check out the city’s website for more information.

  • Once you license your pet, you can receive exclusive offers and discounts on pet products and services through the Blue Paw program.

  • Residents can purchase or renew licenses online or at a number of locations, including Petsmart Charities, Toronto Humane Society, Toronto Cat Rescue and Pet Valu as well as many veterinary offices that support pet licensing in the City of Toronto.