CORD praised for success in curbing unlicensed dogs
Central Okanagan dog control officials have won provincial praise for their crackdown on unlicensed pooches.
The regional district’s stick-and-carrot approach, which combines zero tolerance for unlicensed animals with financial incentives to register pets, received an honourable mention for best practices at last week’s Union of B.C. Municipalities convention.
“Our staff is often contacted by other local governments interested in learning about our creative approach,” said regional district chairwoman Gail Given, a City of Kelowna councillor.
In the past five years, revenue from dog licenses has almost doubled, from $321,000 in 2012 to $614,000 in 2016.
More licences have been bought, in part, because anyone found with an unlicensed dog immediately gets a $300 ticket, no exceptions.
The crackdown yielded 423 tickets in 2014, 377 in 2015, and 280 tickets last year, regional district information officer Bruce Smith says, with the declining number of infractions suggesting steadily wider compliance with the licensing regulation.
Also, the regional district offers a series of coupons for petrelated stores, through the My Dog Matters program, worth several hundred dollars for anyone who licenses their dog.
Based on common rates of pet ownership, the regional district estimates there are 33,000 dogs living with families in the greater Kelowna area, Smith says.
Currently, 24,122 dogs are licensed for a compliance rate of 73 per cent, much better than the 40 per cent rate that existed before the crackdown.
Revenue from dog licences goes toward the dog control program, covering costs associated with animal investigations, impounds, and bylaw enforcement of rules such as picking up dog poop.