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SALT LAKE CITY — Cats in unincorporated Salt Lake County would have to be licensed and the limits on the number of dogs and cats a single owner could possess would be lifted under policy changes the Salt Lake County Council will consider Tuesday.
The Council also will consider upping the fee tenfold for people who fail to license their animals to $250. The fine will apply to people who fail to license or fail to renew breeder and pet licenses.
Salt Lake County Animal Services director Shawni Larabee said changes are driven by the agency's goal of increasing the number of animals that are returned to owners and ensuring that pet owners are vaccinating their animals for rabies.
- Only 22 percent of dog owners in the county license their animals.
- Just 44 percent of lost pets are returned to owners.
- Between 4,000 and 5,000 cats enter the county animal shelter each year.
- Only 4 percent of the cats at the shelter make it back to their owners.
Presently, only 22 percent of dog owners in the unincorporated county license their animals. Just 44 percent of lost pets are returned to owners. Between 4,000 and 5,000 cats enter the county animal shelter each year. Only 4 percent go home.
"We can't get them home if we don't have your information," Larabee said.
Animal Services has been studying the policies of other animal welfare agencies that have been successful in increasing licensure rates as well as "return" rates, Larabee said.
The ordinance changes will be heard on first reading Tuesday and final passage on April 5. The ordinances apply only to animal owners in unincorporated Salt Lake County.
The council will consider an amendment that would lift limits on the number of dogs or cats permitted in a household.
The existing ordinance limits a household to four animals, two dogs or two cats over four months, or five animals if one of the cats or dogs has been adopted from a government or nonprofit animal agency.
Often, the problem is not the number of animals a person owns but the care they provide, said Carl Arkey, spokesman for the Humane Society of Utah. Animals suffer when they're allowed to run at large or don't have adequate food or water.
"Even if you have one bad owner not taking care of one animal, you've got problems," Arky said.
Animal licensing can be conducted online. CLICK HERE for more information.
E-mail:mcortez@ksl.com
