City will raise $ by trolling Dept of Water and Power database for residents with dogs

[Liberal_in_LA]

unintended use of a database?
-------------------------------

Canvassers ply L.A. streets seeking unlicensed dogs
An official says that if all canines had proper permits, city coffers could gain millions of dollars. The City Council approves a motion to have the DWP share its data on dogs with Animal Services.

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If, as council President Eric Garcetti contends, roughly two-thirds of the city's dogs are not licensed, that could mean at least an additional $3.6 million in fees even if all those scofflaw dog owners paid only the lowest license fee.

On Tuesday, the council unanimously approved a motion to have the Department of Animal Services coordinate with the Department of Water and Power, which keeps a handy database from its meter readers of residences with dogs.

The task of locating unlicensed dogs falls to eight full-time canvassers for the Department of Animal Services, who roam the city looking for canines with no licenses or expired licenses and handing out information on spaying and neutering.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dog-license24-2010feb24,0,6040823.story

[Catshrink]

1. Magical thinking.

[JDPriestly]

2. The licenses are not expensive.

If someone can afford dog food, they can afford a license. Seniors get free tags.

CANINE (DOG)
All dogs over four months of age and kept within the City of Los Angeles must be licensed (LAMC 53.28). A dog license is valid only when the required rabies vaccination certificate, issued by a licensed veterinarian, is provided to the Department and only as long as the rabies vaccination is effective. (LAMC 53.51 )

License Fee Schedule (as of October 2008)
Term
1 Year
Dogs - Altered**
$15
Dogs - Unaltered
See Spay Neuter Law Information
Seniors (62 +)
No license fee for spayed or neutered pet
Replacement Tag
$3
Replacement Tag Seniors (65 +)
Free
**Altered means female animals are spayed, male animals are neutered
Click here For Qualifications for Free Dog LIcense

http://www.laanimalservices.com/petinfo_licensing.htm

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. It's not the fees, it's the sharing of databases...

[Rhiannon12866]

8. That's more expensive than it is here in NY.

Spayed and neutered dogs are $2.50, has been for as long as I've had a dog... :shrug:

[Rhiannon12866]

3. Yes.

A couple of years after our beloved cocker spaniel passed away, some official pulled up in a car while my father was outside raking and asked him why he hadn't renewed her license. He did not take it well. ;(

[Robb]

4. Does anyone read meters any more?

I moved from a town of 800 people that five years ago got the kind you could "read" from 50 feet away, safe and warm in your truck, with a little gizmo.

I can't imagine being able to justify keeping information regarding dogs or anything else about peoples' yards.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. Yes. they still read meters

[Robb]

7. In LA?

I mean, obviously you're there so I don't doubt you. I'm just astounded they still have the kind in a big city that require getting out and walking up to.

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. They might be changing to the new kind but I suppose it would take years to get all the meters

changed. 3 or 4 million people live in city of LA.

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. They might be changing to the new kind but I suppose it would take years to get all the meters

changed. 3 or 4 million people live in city of LA.

[jtuck004]

11. Not expensive?

No, and for a single person or parent making, say, $12,000 to 15,000 at Walmart neither are the

beans they have to eat twice a week or more so they can pay rent, assuming they don't have to miss a meal
bus fare because they can't afford a car
the cough medicine they bought trying to get by without the health care they don't have.
the little increase in rent because of the landlord's expenses
a hundred other things that "aren't that expensive"

Have you looked at the stats? 30% unemployment for people that make $12,000 a year - only 3% unemployment for
people making 150,000 and over. Who is going to hurt the most from this?

A shelter admin here said "It only costs about the same as 3 lattes" - perhaps, but maybe that's a better deal for a
county employee that still has a paycheck paid for by the taxpayers.

But added all up it costs more than some very basic things we take for granted in this country.

If they can't afford this tax they shouldn't have the dog?

You mean get rid of the only pair of eyes that doesn't look at them without judgment, only wants to be a friend,
doesn't ask more than a bowl of food and water every day, cuddles up next to them at night.

What are they left with. You?

I thought so-called Democrats were the party of the people. These people are not the damn problem, the owners of Walmart,
Cargill, ADM, Goldman Sachs, nearly any elected Republican (ie - spawn of Insurance Companies), many of the elected Democrats,
- you know the list. Have the guts to go after them? I thought not.

If your first thought is not the defense of these most defenseless people you should be ashamed of yourself. The problem is not these people with a dog - it is the people running the economics of the country, the heartless people who want
to take their pound of flesh from the people who can least afford it. The only reason you have this party are the people that died defending these ideals.

3 dogs were killed here in the past week from some bonehead throwing strychnine laced meatballs into
stranger's yards and on streets over a 3 mile area. Not in the gated areas, or in the areas with the nicer homes. In the lower
income neighborhoods. The only being more defenseless than these people are their dogs.

Thanks for that.

[populistdriven]

16. best post i have read in a week

[niyad]

12. how in the hell does the utility company database tell who has dogs? since when is that part of the

utility company's business?

here, most of the meters are the new things that are read by one person in the computer room. no more meter readers.

F U , city of Los Angeles.

[Travis_0004]

14. Their meter readers enter peoples houses and yards to read the meter (what a novel concept)

If you see a fenced in back yard (and you are about to enter to read the meter), knowing if the owners have a dog or not would be very good information to have, so you don't get bit. If they see a dog, they key it in, so the next time somebody comes to read that meter again, they can be on the lookout.

[Nailzberg]

13. If they really want to make some money, fine the people that don't clean up dogshit.

It's everywhere I look.

[Historic NY]

15. our town used to do a dog census..tags help id owners of lost dogs.

How do people get away with dogs not given rabies shots?

http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AI/Doglic.html

[cutlassmama]

17. My dogs stay inside 24/7 even though we have a yard. How would the

city know I had dogs?

[taterguy]

18. Why do you have dogs if you never walk them?

Seriously,

:wtf:

[spinbaby]

19. Potty Patch n/t

[taterguy]

20. What the fuck does that mean?

[Coventina]

21. I disagree with this proposal, but I don't know why people don't get

licenses for their dogs.

In our county, the fees go to animal control, and are greatly needed.

Plus, it's a layer of protection for the dog if it gets away. (We also have our dogs chipped and with additional tags with multiple phone numbers).