Task force urges steps to benefit dogs, cats.

Byline: Randi Bjornstad The Register-Guard

A citizen task force intent on reducing the number of abandoned and euthanized cats and dogs will release recommendations today on ways to improve animal welfare in Lane County.

Although county commissioners have yet to see the report, some of its suggestions - primarily a proposed surcharge on sales of dog and cat food and mandatory reporting of rabies vaccinations of dogs - have drawn the ire of special interest groups such as breeders, the pet food industry and some veterinarians, who already have begun mustering forces to oppose it.

The 11-member task force met for a year to explore ways to generate more money to improve the condition of dogs and cats. The study group, appointed by the commissioners, includes veterinarians, animal welfare advocates and a county judge.

Budget cuts exceeding $200,000 that went into effect in July forced the Lane County Animal Regulation Authority to stop accepting cats altogether and prevented the agency from expanding its capacity to accept stray or owner-released dogs beyond its existing 30 kennel spaces.

In recent years, the authority has had to euthanize about 700 dogs and more than 2,000 cats each year.

Finding new funding sources was one of six charges the commissioners gave the task force. "But we've been very careful to consider the financial impact of our proposals," said task force Chairman Scott Bartlett.

For example, the pet food surcharge proposal would provide for rebates to low-income citizens, people with service animals, rescue organizations and shelters, he said. The task force recommends a wholesale or retail surcharge of between 1 and 5 percent.

A portion of the money raised by increasing dog license fees and beefing up enforcement of existing licensing laws would be earmarked for low-cost spay and neuter programs to reduce the number of cast-off animals that too often end up being euthanized, Bartlett said.

"It's flat-out wrong for beautiful, healthy, adoptable dogs and cats to die lonely, preventable deaths when, with some policy changes and minor revenue streams, we could be on the leading edge of animal welfare in this community," he said.

More money in the coffers would also allow the agency to expand the hours it's open to the public for retrieving lost animals or adoptions, he said. Now, because of budget cutbacks, the office is open only 21 1/2 hours per week.

Currently, Lane County's 323,000 residents own about 75,000 dogs, of which only about 13,000 have been licensed.

Compliance with city and county licensing requirements ranges from a high of 42 percent of Coburg's 200 dogs to a low of 6 percent in Florence, where just over 100 of the city's canine population of 2,000 has been licensed. In unincorporated parts of the county, the compliance rate for licensing dogs stands at 17 percent.

Tripling the number of licensed dogs, even at the current one-year fee of $25 for an unneutered animal and $10 for an altered one, could generate an additional $325,000 per year to support animal welfare programs and facilities, the task force estimates.

Improving enforcement of licensing would depend in part on another controversial proposal that would require veterinarians to report all rabies vaccinations they perform to the county. That in turn would allow the county to have a more complete database indicating which dogs are and are not licensed.

Eugene veterinarian Sandy Smalley, who represents the Lane County Veterinary Medical Association on the task force, said the main concern of some veterinarians is not added paperwork but the confidentiality of client records.

"The community of veterinarians is fragmented on this issue," said Smalley, adding that some fear such a roster could end up on marketers' mailing lists.

The task force agreed to recommend that the animal regulation authority maintain personal information in a secure database, "and I think that will help a lot in making this reporting requirement acceptable to vets," Smalley said.

In a recent survey of veterinary association members, nearly half said they oppose mandatory reporting, a quarter had no objections and the rest worried about the confidentiality issue, she said.

Some pet owners with more than two dogs - the limit allowed by most city and county codes - also fear that if veterinarians report all vaccinations, they could be forced to relinquish those above the limit, Smalley said.

Bartlett said the task force favors increasing the "limit law" on the allowable number of dogs per household to at least three.

WHAT'S NEXT

Report: The Animal Regulation Task Force will make its formal report to the Lane County Commissioners at 9 a.m. on Dec. 3 at 125 E. Eighth Ave., Eugene

Information: 682-4203

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Animal Regulation Task Force report looks at six areas of concern regarding animal welfare and regulation

Funding: Levy a wholesale or retail surcharge of 1 percent to 5 percent on dog and cat food

Licensing: Require veterinarians to report all canine rabies vaccinations, allowing for uniform countywide licensing database; subsidize microchip clinic for low-income pet owners; substantially increase rate of licensing by dog owners; advocate voluntary registration of cats

Spay and neutering: Create low-income spay and neuter voucher program supported by increased license enforcement; consider acquisition of mobile spay/neuter clinic; encourage creation of "Friends of Shelter" nonprofit fund-raising group

Legal issues: Amend county code language on animal abuse and neglect; relax "limit laws" on number of pets allowed per household; require low-cost juvenile licenses for dogs ages 8 weeks to 6 months

Public education: Include agency brochures and licensing forms in property tax statements and other public mailings; promote responsible pet ownership

Facilities and staffing: Increase capacity of dog kennels by at least 30; expand office hours to seven days a week and eight hours a day; increase patrols to cover all of rural Lane County