Proposal for cat and dog tax, Lebanon, Tennessee

Dog studying law

This is a rather dramatic proposal by city legislators at a budget work session. It caught my eye. It is a proposal for a form of licensing for both cats and dogs. The idea is to raise money to improve Animal Control. Nothing new there.

Neither is there anything nothing new about dog licensing but cat licensing has been rejected out of hand or not even considered before as far as I am aware.

The proposal goes beyond a straight tax on cats and dogs. Beyond a certain number of dogs the owner is considered a breeder or boarding kennel owner and he/she will need a kennel or breeding license by paying $100 per annum. This should also apply to cats.

The standard “tax” is $25 per dog or cat. If they are neutered or spayed the fee drops to $10, thereby encouraging responsible cat and dog ownership.

It appears that the general reaction from the public is a rejection of the proposal but it is not all one way.

Some residents may strongly dislike it. These are the people who care for four or more dogs!

There are other elements to the proposal which concern tethering dogs and standards regarding dog house construction.

Every and now and then, we read in the online news media the attempts by city, county and state legislators to get a handle on what is considered to be too many unwanted dogs and cats and overflowing shelters.

This is one such proposal. It is the first time I have read about taxing cats. Historically they are considered safe to let roam wherever they fancy. That though is changing too.

Source: via Dog, cat tax proposed to benefit Animal Control in Lebanon | WKRN News 2.

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