A city ordinance requiring your dogs and cats be licensed is nothing new. But in 2017, the City of Sacramento started enforcing the law through auto-citations.
After two warning notices, pet owners will receive a citation if they don't renew their pets' licenses. The citation is correctable. Owners are given up to 30 days after receiving a citation to renew or face a $300 fine.
"The system is new. Licensing has been around forever," said Bobby Mann with Front Street Shelter.
Mann estimates the shelter takes in 11,000 animals every year. The system keeps track of adopted pets and pets who have been licensed. Veterinarians are also required to turn in information on pets they see for rabies vaccinations.
A license is $20 a year or you can pay $50 for three years to save some money. The funds go directly back to the shelters. Pets don't have to wear their licensed tags, but it is recommended.
Mann said, since they started enforcement of this law, the numbers of pets who are getting licensed has increased from 14 percent to close to 23 percent. The national average is 30 percent.
Licensing does come with an incentive. If you go down to the shelter, you can get rabies vaccinations and your pet microchipped for free with your licensing fee. This doesn't mean animal control officers will check if your pet is licensed while you're out on a walk and ticket you if you don't have a license.
"There are so many sick, injured and neglected animals in the community that are lost, stray, injured," said Mann. "We have such limited staffing. That's where we're focused our energy on."
The law applies to dogs and cats. In Sacramento, you're allowed three dogs and seven cats legally.
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