LA City Cracks Down on Dog Licenses

Los Angeles - Trying to shrink its budget deficit by boosting revenue, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously today to crack down on dog and horse owners who have failed to get a license for their animals.

City Council President Eric Garcetti suggested identifying dog owners by using a database that the Department of Water and Power created for the benefit of its meter readers. The database lists households that are believed to have dogs so meter readers can take the proper precautions when approaching a home.

"The DWP's database can be a vital tool in furthering compliance with the city's dog licensing regulations," Garcetti said.

The city requires that all dogs -- and horses -- be licensed by the Department of Animal Services. It costs $15 to get a license for a spayed or neutered dog. Each license comes with a unique number that would help reunite a lost dog with its owner, city officials said.

Animal Services Assistant General Manager Linda Barth said only one-third of all pet dogs in Los Angeles -- about 120,000 -- are licensed.

She estimated that if the rest were licensed as well, it would add $4 million to the city's coffers.

Garcetti said Animal Services' inability to verify if dogs are up to date on their vaccinations and have been spayed or neutered is a public safety concern.

Councilman Richard Alarcon amended the proposal to include horses, although officials said there is no DWP database on households believed to have horses.

Councilman Tom LaBonge expressed reservations about the proposal, saying he instead favored going to the city's dog parks and asking owners there whether their pets were licensed.

LaBonge said he did not like the idea of knocking on people's doors to force them to get a license for their pets, deeming it "too aggressive." He also raised privacy concerns.

Barth assured him the plan is for DWP to reveal only the addresses -- not the names -- of suspected dog owners. Animal Services will then check the information against its dog licensing database and send letters to residents who are not in compliance with the law.

She said canvassing crews will be sent to neighborhoods only if residents continue to violate the rules.

The City Council will consider several other proposals today to reduce the budget deficit, among them:

-- changes in the pension system for current city employees and those who will be hired in the future;

-- modernizing the city's parking meters to generate more revenue; and

-- reviewing the city's labor contracts.

Officials have called for eliminating 4,000 jobs to save money if the city's labor unions refuse to agree to pay cuts.

The city's $212 million budget deficit is projected by city budget analysts to grow to $485 million next fiscal year, $785 million by 2011-2012 and almost $1 billion by 2012-2013.