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Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday tabled a proposal to raise the cost of licensing dogs.
Commissioners Doug Robertson, Marilyn Kittelman and Joe Laurance said they wanted the opportunity to discuss the matter more fully before deciding whether to charge more than the current fees of $6 for a dog that has been spayed or neutered and $25 for an unaltered dog. A public workshop will be announced at a later date.
At a hearing two weeks ago, sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Marshall, who oversees the county’s animal control program, presented a proposal asking to raise fees for licensing — required by law for all dogs — to $9 and $30.
An increase is needed, he said, to keep the county’s spay and neuter program afloat.
Back in 1990, Douglas County voters approved a ballot measure calling for establishment of a spay and neuter program. A portion of the yearly license fees has gone to support the cost of the surgical procedures, but the fund is in danger of being depleted.
Recently, the Saving Grace Pet Adoption Center began altering all dogs adopted from the Winchester center. In the past, only about three-quarters of the dogs picked up from the shelter were spayed or neutered, even though the animals’ owners were given vouchers that paid for the procedures without extra cost to the owners.
Because the number of alterations performed at the shelter has risen by 25 percent, more money is being spent out of the spay and neuter fund. The cost of the surgical procedures, which run from $37 to $80, depending upon the size of the dog, is shared by the county and Saving Grace.
The veterinarians who provide the service do so at a reduced rate, about half of what they would charge at their clinics, officials said.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Marshall suggested a fee of $8 for altered dogs and $35 for unaltered ones. He said his revised recommendation came as a result of a man who testified two weeks ago before the commissioners that those with unaltered dogs should bear a greater percentage of the burden to fund the spay and neuter program.
He said there were other options for raising higher yet the fee for dogs that haven’t been sterilized, to $40 or $50, with a corresponding decrease for owners with dogs that have been spayed or neutered. In each case, it would provide between $20,000 and $25,000 a year to the program, Marshall said.
Commissioner Marilyn Kittelman said the proposals offered so far unfairly target residents with low incomes, the elderly and the disabled who have dogs that have been sterilized. She said any increase should be based upon residents taking personal responsibility.
Kittelman said she was a dog owner, but refused to answer Roseburg resident Tom Baker during the hearing on whether her dogs were licensed.
“This is a public hearing and I’m not going to go into whether mine are or not,” Kittelman told Baker, who had asked all three commissioners whether they had licensed dogs. “I’m a very responsible pet owner.”
A records search by the Sheriff’s Office did not show any dog licenses registered under the name “Kittelman,” nor under a common misspelling of the commissioner’s name in which the “e” and the “l” are transposed, nor under her family’s address outside Yoncalla.
Kittelman refused to answer whether her dogs were registered under someone else’s name or address when questioned by The News-Review after the meeting.
A separate records search showed two dogs licensed to Robertson, but during the meeting he said both of those dogs are deceased.
No records turned up for Laurance, but he provided a receipt outside the meeting showing purchase of a license Tuesday from the Winston Police Department, one of several agencies authorized to sell licenses on the county’s behalf.
In asking the question, Baker said he thought it was important for the public to know whether the county’s elected officials were following the law.
Ellis Poole, Saving Grace’s executive director, told the commissioners it’s important to keep the spay and neuter program.
Last month, the shelter euthanized 312 dogs and 509 cats. The number of cats put down set an all-time record, he said.
He noted that license fees haven’t been raised in more than 10 years.
• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 957-4209 or by e-mail at jsowell@nrtoday.com.
Commissioners Doug Robertson, Marilyn Kittelman and Joe Laurance said they wanted the opportunity to discuss the matter more fully before deciding whether to charge more than the current fees of $6 for a dog that has been spayed or neutered and $25 for an unaltered dog. A public workshop will be announced at a later date.
At a hearing two weeks ago, sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Marshall, who oversees the county’s animal control program, presented a proposal asking to raise fees for licensing — required by law for all dogs — to $9 and $30.
An increase is needed, he said, to keep the county’s spay and neuter program afloat.
Back in 1990, Douglas County voters approved a ballot measure calling for establishment of a spay and neuter program. A portion of the yearly license fees has gone to support the cost of the surgical procedures, but the fund is in danger of being depleted.
Recently, the Saving Grace Pet Adoption Center began altering all dogs adopted from the Winchester center. In the past, only about three-quarters of the dogs picked up from the shelter were spayed or neutered, even though the animals’ owners were given vouchers that paid for the procedures without extra cost to the owners.
Because the number of alterations performed at the shelter has risen by 25 percent, more money is being spent out of the spay and neuter fund. The cost of the surgical procedures, which run from $37 to $80, depending upon the size of the dog, is shared by the county and Saving Grace.
The veterinarians who provide the service do so at a reduced rate, about half of what they would charge at their clinics, officials said.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Marshall suggested a fee of $8 for altered dogs and $35 for unaltered ones. He said his revised recommendation came as a result of a man who testified two weeks ago before the commissioners that those with unaltered dogs should bear a greater percentage of the burden to fund the spay and neuter program.
He said there were other options for raising higher yet the fee for dogs that haven’t been sterilized, to $40 or $50, with a corresponding decrease for owners with dogs that have been spayed or neutered. In each case, it would provide between $20,000 and $25,000 a year to the program, Marshall said.
Commissioner Marilyn Kittelman said the proposals offered so far unfairly target residents with low incomes, the elderly and the disabled who have dogs that have been sterilized. She said any increase should be based upon residents taking personal responsibility.
Kittelman said she was a dog owner, but refused to answer Roseburg resident Tom Baker during the hearing on whether her dogs were licensed.
“This is a public hearing and I’m not going to go into whether mine are or not,” Kittelman told Baker, who had asked all three commissioners whether they had licensed dogs. “I’m a very responsible pet owner.”
A records search by the Sheriff’s Office did not show any dog licenses registered under the name “Kittelman,” nor under a common misspelling of the commissioner’s name in which the “e” and the “l” are transposed, nor under her family’s address outside Yoncalla.
Kittelman refused to answer whether her dogs were registered under someone else’s name or address when questioned by The News-Review after the meeting.
A separate records search showed two dogs licensed to Robertson, but during the meeting he said both of those dogs are deceased.
No records turned up for Laurance, but he provided a receipt outside the meeting showing purchase of a license Tuesday from the Winston Police Department, one of several agencies authorized to sell licenses on the county’s behalf.
In asking the question, Baker said he thought it was important for the public to know whether the county’s elected officials were following the law.
Ellis Poole, Saving Grace’s executive director, told the commissioners it’s important to keep the spay and neuter program.
Last month, the shelter euthanized 312 dogs and 509 cats. The number of cats put down set an all-time record, he said.
He noted that license fees haven’t been raised in more than 10 years.
• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 957-4209 or by e-mail at jsowell@nrtoday.com.
