Quote:
Originally Posted by woofendog
The cost of pet ownership is high enough. This especially so if you have multiple cats. Mine all stay indoors so why should I have to pay for a license.
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When cat licensing was first implemented in Calgary, I thought the same thing. I also thought that licensing laws would actually cause MORE cats to be abandoned because if a cat ended up at Animal Services without a license, the "owners" wouldn't want to (or be able to) claim it because then they'd have to pay the hefty $250 fine to get it back. That hasn't been the case at all. In fact Calgary now has the highest "return to owner" and the lowest euthanasia rates for cats in all of North America.
There are some other really awesome things about cat licensing here. It costs a paltry $10/yr for neutered cats, and that money helps to fund SNAP (Spay Neuter Assistance Program), so that low-income people can get their cats fixed for little to no cost. That's great for the community. As well, when you license your cat or dog, you get an
"I Heart My Pet" card that gives you discounts at various participating retailers. That's great for ME! I get 10% off every purchase at one of my favourite pet food stores, and with 5 cats to feed, the savings are tremendous over the course of a year. I'm a big fan of cat licensing now! I wish more cities would adopt a similar program.