Why is the La Plata County Humane Society (LPCHS) not actively pursuing getting dogs licensed and increasing their own financial stability ($10/year for an altered dog and $25 or $55 for an unaltered one pending county or city residence)?
When talking with Humane Society staff and patrolling officers, they admitted that they are not asking dog owners to license their dog.
Presently, the city and the county are funding the LPCHS for essential services like animal patrols, taking care of nuisance dogs, finding homes for unwanted puppies and licensing dogs.
While the LPCHS is estimating the city’s dog population to exceed 8,000, no more than 2,000 dogs are registered. This means that they are giving up on an income source of more than $50,000 per year in the city alone and their own mission – reducing the number of unwanted dogs.
During times of budget restraints, I am encouraging the LPCHS to actively pursue getting dogs registered by educating dog owners, installing signage on trails and at the dog park and working in partnership with veterinarians.
Werner Heiber
Durango
