Since January the city of Ann Arbor has been receiving invoices from the Humane Society of Huron Valley for animal control services. City Council member Jane Lumm says the city doesn't have a dedicated funding source to cover the full cost, but made a step in the right direction with an amendment in next year's budget.
The resolution calls for an increased effort in dog licensing enforcement and compliance.
Humane Society of Huron Valley President and CEO Tonya Hilgendorf says getting more dogs licensed will insure they have rabies vaccines and provides other benefits to animal lovers. Most importantly this includes serving as a ticket home if your dog gets lost.
Ann Arbor officials estimate only about 7 percent of the projected 30,000 dogs in the city have licenses. The resolution also calls on city staff to return to council with a revised fee proposal and improved licensing customer services.
Hilgendorf says Washtenaw County has lower rates of dog licensing than most counties in the area. She thinks this is because the Humane Society has been covering a lot of the animal control services that other communities have done directly. She says this led Oakland, Genesee, and other counties to boost dog licensing enforcement efforts.
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— Andrew Cluley is the Ann Arbor beat reporter, and anchor for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him acluley@emich.edu.
