A fee for Fido?
We ran a short story on last night's meeting of the Animal Advocacy Coalition, the group that's revising the county's pet ordinance. Read on if you missed it.
(A shorter version ran in the paper due to space constraints.)
GREENSBORO - The coalition revising Guilford County's dated animal-control ordinance will study pet laws in other areas before drafting its proposal.
Some of what the Animal Advocacy Coalition will examine are pet licensing laws in other counties and states. Greensboro, which falls under the county's animal-control operations, is the only large city in the state not regulated by a pet licensing program that charges residents a fee to keep pets.
Some areas charge less for sterilized pets, providing an incentive for owners to spay or neuter their animals and to cut down on pet overpopulation. Forsyth County, for example, charges $5 for sterilized pets and $25 for fertile ones.
Among the other ordinances mentioned at Tuesday's coalition meeting were those for New Hanover County as well as areas in California and Oregon.
The coalition is comprised of health officials, animal-control officers, veterinarians, animal advocates and concerned citizens, among others. The group could bring its proposal to the county commissioners for adoption later this year.