WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — City leaders in Wausau are hoping that a decrease in the late fee for pet registration will encourage more people to comply with the ordinance while also raising awareness about the fees and what they do.
Finance Committee Chair Lisa Rasmussen said around ten percent of residents with pets actually have them registered with animal control.
“Our goal is not to be an unfriendly community for pets, but you still have to promote quality, responsible pet ownership,” said Rasmussen during Tuesday’s meeting. “People may think ‘oh, that’s another charge,’ that they don’t want to pay for. But, at the end of the day if that pet’s lost and then found that license helps get them home again.”
Pet licensing fees are due annually by April 1st. Those who pay after that date are subject to late fees which could go into the hundreds of dollars. Rasmussen also noted that could force residents to simply skip the process altogether or wait until the following year to pay up.
Officials noted that the city saw its most success with pet licensing when they could work with vets to cross-reference vaccination records with local vet offices against the city’s database to determine which households had up-to-date registrations.
There were also legal reasons for changing the ordinance. City attorneys noted that their interpretation of the state’s laws showed if a late fee is to be charged, it shall be no more than $5.
Current licensing fees are $$62 for unspayed or unneutered dogs and cats. Those animals that are spayed or neutered can be registered for $20. An $8 discount applies to all animals that are microchipped.
Previous late fees were charged at twice the rate of the annual fee on top of the annual fee.
The Finance Committee voted unanimously to send the measure onto the full council, who passed it later in the evening.
A measure changing the required age for pet rabies vaccinations from four to five months was also passed by the Public Health and Safety Committee on Monday night in conjunction with the fee adjustment.
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