Should cats be treated like dogs, when it comes to licensing and immunization requirements?
The San Diego city auditor’s office recommends doing just that — for the sake of health, safety and “cost recovery” for taxpayers.
Should cats be treated like dogs, when it comes to licensing and immunization requirements?
The San Diego city auditor’s office recommends doing just that — for the sake of health, safety and “cost recovery” for taxpayers.
It costs me less than $10 to license El Tigre the neutered wonder cat in Louisville. The fee for non-neutered cats is considerably higher. If I could get shots and a license for $25 that would be a bonus. Darn cat has already had two near-death major medical incidents that have earned me platinum member status at the veterinarian’s office!
There probably is a legitimate case that can be made for some sort of municipal or state regulation of pet populations, particularly with regard to inoculations and being able to identify lost/wayward animals. A cost recovery fee to cover that sort of program is just good, conservative fiscal stewardship. What’s troubling, however, is that one sometimes gets the feeling that governments look at anything that moves (and some things that don’t) from a pure revenue-production standpoint. That is an illegitimate instinct that requires constant skepticism from citizens.
Our four golden retrievers and two cats, most of whom lie buried in the field, have been notorious outlaws for twenty years. One has to draw a line somewhere.
The true face of government: greed for taxes. Maybe the anarchists have a point? Taxes are the means to an end, but not the end itself. Maybe if taxes don’t cover services, the services should be cut!
Yep, if dogs must be licensed, so should cats. Too many cat owners let them out to wander, especially at night, and don’t bother to have them spayed/neutered. Cats reproduce at a much higher rate/frequency than dogs.
But they sing so beautifully at night…
Having just moved out of California (the San Diego area), I can tell you that years of irresponsible public fiscal management, including public employee pensions at over 100% of pay for some, have left the city in horrible financial shape. This new program is not out of concern for the cat population, etc.–this is just another tax by any other name because they are truly desperate.
Reminds me of the Monty Python skit in which someone comes in and tries to apply for a fish license for his pet halibut Eric. Oops, that might give some zealous tax-raiser an idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnq96W9jtuw
The issue of cat licenses is also covered, and is quite illuminating on the whole issue.