HomeMy WebLinkAboutA042 - Staff report regarding Pet Licensing ProgramITEM #:45
DATE:05-27-25
DEPT:POLICE
SUBJECT:PET LICENSING PROGRAM
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
BACKGROUND:
During the presentation of the proposed FY 2025/26 Police budget in February 2025, staff
mentioned to the City Council the prospect of exploring a Pet Licensing Program (PLP). Staff
provided a memo to the City Council containing further details regarding the concept, and at
the April 22 City Council meeting, Council referred the memo to a future agenda for
discussion.
The City of Ames does not currently have a PLP. Many other Iowa communities utilize a
licensing program, as evidenced in the attached list. Out of the top 15 cities in Iowa by
population, only two cities do not have a PLP, including Ames. Of the three university
communities in Iowa, Ames is the only city that does not have a PLP. Most cities that have a
PLP do not provide the level of animal care, sheltering and control (field services) provided in
Ames.
PLPs provide benefits for pets and their owners, those in the community who may encounter
at-large animals, and for the operation of the City’s Animal Control Program. These benefits
include:
1. A license identifies a dog or cat and allows the owner to be quickly reunited with them in
case they get lost. A license can be traced 24 hours a day of the year by the Ames
Police Department. Rabies tags can only be traced through the issuing veterinary clinic
and only when the clinic is open. After hours and weekends present significant
challenges.
2. Licensed pets are held longer before being placed up for adoption at the shelter to give
them an increased chance to be reunited with their owners.
3. A license ensures that dogs/cats are vaccinated against rabies, a fatal disease. Rabies
is a current threat to human and animal health, and state law requires that dogs be
vaccinated against rabies.
4. Owners of licensed pets receive a helpful reminder to re-vaccinate their pet prior to the
rabies vaccine expiration date.
5. A free microchip and lifetime registration can be included with each license purchased. If
the pet is already microchipped, the lifetime registration in the City’s database is
included. Microchips are a low-cost, effective tool for increasing the likelihood that a lost
pet can be reunited with their owner. Quick identification of a pet also helps reduce the
time an animal may stay in the shelter before being discharged, thereby reducing
operating expenses at the facility.
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6. License fees help support the Ames Animal Shelter and Animal Control services such as
maintaining high-level standards of care, reuniting lost pets with their owners, finding
new homes for unwanted animals regardless of how long it takes, responding to reported
animal neglect/cruelty/hoarding concerns, animal nuisance calls, limited wildlife
response, emergency animal housing, dangerous domestic animals, or other violations
of the Ames Municipal Code. These services are currently funded primarily through
property taxes. Revenues from license fees would shift more of the pet-related
enforcement expenses to pet owners rather than spreading these costs to all property
taxpayers.
According to calculations from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Ames
has approximately 24,633 households. There are approximately 16,182 dogs living in 11,084
households and 11,399 cats living in 6,404 households. It is estimated that approximately 70%
of all pets in our community are spayed/neutered (19,306) and the others are intact (8,275).
On average, approximately 500 cats and dogs are adopted or reclaimed by their owners from
the Animal Shelter annually. Additionally, there are over 700 active registrations for the use of
the Dog Park. Staff’s existing computerized records system used to manage these
adoptions/reclaims and Dog Park tags would also be used to manage the PLP registrations.
The data from other cities in Iowa indicate an average fee of approximately $10 annually
for spayed and neutered cats and dogs, and an average fee of approximately $19 per
year for unaltered animals (see attached). Cities vary in whether they assess a fine for
failure to maintain a license, but those that do impose an average fine of $21.53.
If the Council supports pursuing a PLP ordinance, staff would recommend:
1. A license fee for altered dogs and cats of $12.00 per year ($1.00 per month),
2. A license fee for unaltered cats and dogs of $24.00 per year ($2.00 per month), and
3. A fine amount of $0 for failure to comply. If non-compliance proved to be an issue
in the future, staff would return to the City Council for a discussion about a
potential monetary fine for non-compliance.
Although there would be no citation amount for failing to license an animal, staff would
recommend incorporating the licensure requirement (and associated fee) into all
adoptions from the shelter and require owners of unlicensed animals whose pet is in
the shelter ’s custody to obtain a license prior to the animal being released to the
owner.
Based on the estimated animal population data described above, the proposed fees have the
potential to generate up to $430,272 of annual revenue. Without a citation amount to
discourage non-compliance, however, the amount actually collected is likely to be
substantially less.
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ALTERNATIVES:
1. Direct staff to draft an ordinance creating a Pet Licensing Program for cats and dogs
with fees of $12.00 per year for altered cats and dogs and $24.00 per year for unaltered
cats and dogs.
2. Direct staff to draft an ordinance creating a Pet Licensing Program for cats and dogs
with a different license structure.
3. Take no action.
CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Pet Licensing Programs are common in other communities, and they present a variety
of benefits. These include more quickly reuniting pets and their owners, better
compliance with necessary vaccinations, microchipping to identify animal owners
quickly, and support for the Ames Animal Shelter and Animal Control services.
Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative
No. 1 as described above.
ATTACHMENT(S):
COMPARISON OF PET LICENSING FEES IN IOWA.docx
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COMPARISON OF PET LICENSING FEES IN IOWA
CITY ANNUAL FEES - CATS ANNUAL FEES - DOGS PENALTY
ALTERED UNALTERED ALTERED UNALTERED FEE
Adel $10.00 $20.00 $10.00 $20.00
Altoona $15.00 $20.00 $10.00
Ankeny $15.00 $25.00 $15.00 $25.00
Aurelia $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $1.00
Belle Plaine $7.50 $15.00 $7.50 $15.00
Bettendorf $3.00 $25.00 $20.00
Breda $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00
Carter Lake $10.00 $15.00 $10.00 $15.00 $5.00
Cedar Falls $6.00 $12.00 $6.00 $12.00
Cedar Rapids $6.00 $12.00 $6.00 $12.00
Centerville $7.50 $7.50 $7.50 $7.50 $15.00
Clinton $15.00 $20.00 $15.00 $20.00
Clive $17.00 $24.00 $19.00 $29.00 $10.00
Coralville $5.00 $30.00 $5.00 $30.00
Corydon $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00
Council Bluffs $10.00 $22.00 $14.00 $30.00 $15.00
Crescent $7.00 $18.00 $15.00 $30.00 $10.00
Dallas Center $5.00 $20.00 $5.00 $20.00
Davenport $10.00 $30.00 $10.00 $30.00
Delhi $8.00 $8.00 $8.00 $8.00
Denison $10.00 $20.00 $10.00 $20.00
Des Moines $15.00 $35.00 $15.00 $35.00 $50.00
Desoto $5.00 $15.00 $5.00 $15.00
DeWitt $10.00 $30.00 $10.00 $30.00 $10.00
Dubuque $14.00 $34.00 $14.00 $34.00 $16.00
Dyersville $3.00 $3.00
Elkhart $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $2.00
Evansdale $5.00 $15.00 $5.00 $15.00 $5.00
Fairfield $10.00 $50.00
Farley $5.00 $5.00
Fort Dodge $5.00 $10.00 $5.00 $10.00 $20.00
Fort Madison $10.00 $20.00 $10.00 $20.00 $10.00
Grandview $5.00 $25.00 $5.00 $25.00
Grimes $15.00 $25.00 $15.00 $25.00
Grinnell $10.00 $12.00 $10.00 $12.00
Hampton $5.00 $8.00
Harlan $5.00 $5.00 $10.00
Iowa City $10.00 $40.00 $10.00 $40.00
Iowa Falls $20.00 $20.00 $25.00
Jefferson $5.00 $10.00 $5.00 $10.00 $1.00
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CITY ANNUAL FEES - CATS ANNUAL FEES - DOGS PENALTY
FEEALTEREDUNALTEREDALTEREDUNALTERED
Johnston $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00
LeMars $10.00 $10.00
Logan $5.00 $10.00 $5.00 $10.00
Macedonia $10.00 $15.00 $25.00 $1.00
Marengo $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00
Mason City $10.00 $50.00 $10.00 $50.00
Moravia $5.00 $5.00 $1.00
Mount Vernon $10.00 $10.00 $200.00
Muscatine $5.00 $25.00 $5.00 $25.00
Nevada $5.00 $10.00 $5.00 $10.00
Newton $15.00 $25.00 $15.00 $25.00
North Liberty $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 $25.00
Norwalk $10.00 $20.00 $10.00
Ottumwa $10.00 $20.00 $10.00 $20.00
Perry $5.00 $20.00 $5.00 $20.00
Pleasant Hill $5.00 $10.00 $5.00 $10.00 $2.50
Red Oak $5.00 $25.00 $5.00 $25.00 $10.00
Sergeant Bluff $10.00 $10.00
Sioux City $15.00 $50.00 $15.00 $50.00
Solon $2.00 $10.00 $2.00 $10.00
Storm Lake $10.00 $20.00
Tabor $5.00 $10.00 $5.00 $10.00
Tiffin $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00
Urbandale $17.00 $27.00 $19.00 $29.00 $25.00
Walnut $8.00 $22.00 $10.00
Waterloo $5.00 $25.00 $5.00 $25.00
Waukee $15.00 $25.00 $15.00 $25.00 $100.00
Waverly $10.00 $20.00 $10.00 $20.00 $5.00
West Branch $5.00 $20.00 $5.00 $20.00
West Des Moines $17.00 $24.00 $19.00 $29.00 $25.00
Winfield $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $5.00
Average $8.91 $19.10 $9.17 $18.88 $21.53
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