Washtenaw County considers civil infractions ordinance to enforce dog licenses
Having an unlicensed dog soon could be switched from a misdemeanor offense to a civil infraction, as officials are formally considering adopting a civil infraction ordinance framework for Washtenaw County.
During the Board of Commissioners’ Ways and Means meeting Wednesday night, Treasurer Catherine McClary introduced the measure to the board. The resolution was not on the original meeting agenda.
Washtenaw County Treasurer Catherine McClary
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
The ordinance is one that has been talked about for several years but never implemented - and so none of the county’s departments' ordinances can be punished by a civil infraction.
County departments including Public Health, Water Resources and Building Inspections have expressed interest in turning some of its violations into civil infractions. Specific ordinances would have to be amended and approved by the board in order to turn the punishment into a civil infraction.
Civil infractions are typically enforced with a fine.
Should a person in violation of an ordinance fail to pay the civil fine, they could still face court proceedings and potentially jail time if not in compliance.
The point of civil infractions is to correct the behavior of the violator, said Judge Kirk Tabbey, chief justice of the 14-A District Court in Ypsilanti.
“You’re trying to get compliance more easily up front,” Tabbey said, stating that he thinks the ordinance is an efficient use of the county’s money. “The idea behind enforcement is to correct the problem.”
The 14-A District Court currently handles the misdemeanor cases for dog license violations.
Tabbey said the 14-A District Court is extremely busy with jury trials and does not need the extra hearings with dog license violators.
“We don’t want to tie up your courtroom with that time and expense,” said Commissioner Dan Smith, R-Northfield Township.
The issue of enforcing dog licenses in the county is one that has resurfaced this year as Washtenaw County officials re-examined the necessary services they were required to provide with regard to animal control. McClary said she heard from dual animal control policy committees this summer that county officials were in support of drafting a civil infraction ordinance.
McClary said Wednesday that enacting a civil enforcement ordinance policy is the second part of a three-phase plan she developed several years ago, specifically with enforcing dog licenses.
The first phase was to allow dog licensure at the time of the expiration of a rabies shot. The final phase, which McClary said she hopes to do in 2013, would be to do a dog census to find out how many dogs are in the county and how many are currently licensed.
The Washtenaw County Treasurer’s office is responsible for overseeing the licensing of dogs. Recently, the office launched an online portal for residents to obtain dog licenses.
About 40 percent of new licenses obtained are through the portal, McClary said. For a neutered dog, licenses cost $12 for one year or $36 for a three-year license.
Currently, there are 4,000 to 5,000 purchases of dog licenses per year that bring in about $52,800 for the county. McClary has stated previously that dog license fees are not a profit-maker for the county, and cover the cost of service.
Increased enforcement of the dog licensing -- which county officials hope would be made possible through enacting a civil infractions ordinance -- could bring in additional revenue for the county.
Currently, county officials state there's an 11 percent compliance rate for dog licenses. Increasing compliance to about 18 percent would raise annual revenue from the fees to $84,780. Additionally, an increase to 55 percent compliance would mean annual revenue of $259,044, officials have reported.
A future civil infractions ordinance county-wide would not apply to the municipalities that already have their own dog licensing ordinances: Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township, Pittsfield Township and Superior Township.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.
Comments
jns131
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 1:02 p.m.
Jail time for an unlicensed dog? O I can't wait to see the bally hoo on this one. Go ahead and jail me. I can't wait to sue the dickens out of the county. This I agree with many posters here, Washtenaw County is only doing this for the money. Nothing more nothing less. So, who else wants to do a sit in at the jail? What a waste of time and effort on the police and resources when more can be done enforcing the law outside of dog chasing law breakers.
Ann English
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 11:57 p.m.
Ever hear of "cat scratch fever"? It's the name of a disease one gets from cats. Cats scratch and break open your skin, and the fever-causing germs infect you. "Cat scratch fever" was the name of a disease long before it became the name of a Ted Nugent song.
GoNavy
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 4:39 p.m.
CLX - Do we track all of the wolves in Washtenaw county? After all, a wolf can seriously maim or even kill a person.
Ann English
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 12:02 a.m.
If we do have them, they're smarter than coyotes; I never hear of wolves getting hit by motorists, but have heard of two coyotes getting hit and killed by motorists, although decades apart. The driver who hit the first coyote thought he had hit a dog.
GoNavy
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 4:40 p.m.
Whoops, this was supposed to go under somebody else's comments.
annarboral
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 4:16 p.m.
The only reason to have dog licenses is to make responsible dog owners pay for the problems created by irresponsible dog owners. Irresponsible people should be policed by general tax collections not punitive tax measures to raise funds from a select group of responsible people. A secondary issue is why pick on dogs as opposed to ALL pets. Do we have cat lienses? Do we have pig licenses? Do we have horse licenses? Chickens, gerbils, birds, ..........
jns131
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 1:03 p.m.
A Gerbil and or Hamster license. I can see that one coming .
Widow Wadman
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 3:06 p.m.
I expect that Catherine McClary will have a lot of dog lovers voting against her.
OLDTIMER3
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 12:20 p.m.
I sent my check in this year for the dog license. It was never cashed and never got my dogs license either. So is that my fault? I wasn't going to write another check and then find them both cashed. And then forgot all about it until this article.
justcurious
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 11:12 a.m.
Let's license kids not dogs. They use up more of the community resources and many of them would need their licenses revoked.
jns131
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 1:04 p.m.
Thank you. I so agree with this one. So many irresponsible parents compared to irresponsible dog owners.
snapshot
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 4:57 a.m.
You government folks treat your own employees with more respect than the citizens you serve. If one of your "own" makes an error, no mattter the cost....it's we need more training and education.....but for us citizens it's "slam bam your in the can". I want the same "civil infractions, fines, and jail time for your incompetent and cheating employees.
brian
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 3:08 a.m.
How about a license for all Politicians . They have hurt us more than any animal has.
RunsWithScissors
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 1:04 p.m.
Yeah! They should be neutered before they can run for office.
hmsp
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 2:55 a.m.
I have no problem with buying a license for my frequently-unleashed dog. Heck, I'd be happy to pay double, even though, as a working-class guy, I can barely afford to remain living here in my home town of Ann Arbor. Although dogs get all of the press, they are not a significant animal-control problem. Sure, we get a sexy aa.com piece once, maybe twice a year about some renegade Ypsi pit bull –– Hey, stereotypes sell, and if you can get a twofer by combining a city stereotype with a breed stereotype, YEAH! But come on, cats are WAY more of a problem –– ask any environmental biologist: the biggest threats to songbirds, for instance, come from feral cats and "house" cats that lead uncontrolled outside lives. For most of us, the main irritation that house cats present is that of their pooping in our flower beds, but that is the least of their environmental crimes by far. But back to my frequently-unleashed dog: If he presents so much of a "threat" to society, why is it that I have had so many friendly conversations with local officers with my dog standing nearby, unleashed, with those oh-so-vigilant officers not even thinking of making mention of the "crimes" that they are witnessing? There have been at least two of these Law Enforcement conversations in the last year, in fact, and after one of those, my dog was more than welcome to join in a walk-through/sniff-through of the local woods, in search of a missing person. Meanwhile, "domestic" cats decimate the populations of local/national/world-wide songbirds. So yeah, charge me for a dog license. Charge me double. Charge me triple, even! But get real! If you want to come down hard on local Animal-At-Large problems, go after the biggest problem first... And that is, of course, Cats At Large.
Cathy
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 8:33 a.m.
I love dogs, but in cities and suburbs, they should be on leashes when outside. No dog is 100% trained.
Laura Jones
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 2:42 a.m.
Maybe if Vet's could handle dog licenses , they would happen more often. As it is, they are a colossal pain and serve no real purpose other than to get money from people. Or just add them to vehicle registrations. It is just such a pain and time sucker they way it is.
smokeblwr
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 1:27 a.m.
Dogs should have all the same rights people do. I don't need a license OR a leash for my dog. It's a GOOD dog and if you have a problem with him you will have a problem with ME!
Ann English
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 12:15 a.m.
If your dog is very friendly and runs away with passers-by because it isn't confined, whoever contacts you about your dog's whereabouts will feel safer in your dog's presence if there's a VACCINATED AGAINST RABIES tag on its collar. Such tags were required before a dog license could be purchased in my township, back when I had dogs.
golfer
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : midnight
ok but it is the LAW. called a leash law. so i guess i got a problem with you. if i have to have my dog on a leash so should you. good dogs can charge cats and other dogs. ooops not if they are on a leash.
Jake
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 10:07 p.m.
Ridiculous! Surely there are much more pressing item for the Washtenaw County Treasurer to deal with than this! I assume this is an elected office, and I am going to remember this name the next time I see this position being voted on..............count on it.
Jake
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 8:23 p.m.
Oldtimer3..........thanks for the info..........I'll be voting for anyone other than the incumbent. Maybe someone new in the office will find other issues to be more pressing.
OLDTIMER3
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 12:14 p.m.
Actually it is on the ballot this year in Washtenaw County.
cinnabar7071
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 9:43 p.m.
My dog doesn't drive, therefore doesn't need a license.
RunsWithScissors
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 9:13 p.m.
It really grates my cheese when a public official says "that dog license fees are not a profit-maker for the county, and cover the cost of service". Collected fees should never be a profit-maker. You're here to provide a service, not make a profit. Which brings up the next question: What service(s) are the fees covering? What are the costs of these services and what is the gap between the amount of fees currently collected & services rendered? If the county intends to use dog license fees to pay for a dog census then that would be a poor use of money. Aren't rabies vaccinations tracked by the county? Why not use the information that's already at hand. Who would receive such a dog census? Everyone in the county? Who would answer the census honestly if it meant paying a civil infraction fine? And finally, what does McClary mean when she says, "The first phase was to allow dog licensure at the time of the expiration of a rabies shot." Why would I license my dog when its rabies vaccination has expired? I think I'm missing something.
JRA
Mon, Oct 22, 2012 : 6:09 p.m.
excellent points! Perhaps annarbor.com could provide some answers re: What service(s) are the fees covering? What are the costs of these services and what is the gap between the amount of fees currently collected & services rendered?
justcurious
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 8:38 p.m.
Clutching at any way to get more money. How about reducing your own salaries and benefits?
SalineTeacher
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 1:30 a.m.
What SPECIFIC changes to salaries and benefits do you think should be made? What is the current compensation for commissioners?
justcurious
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 8:40 p.m.
Maybe they could paint a big "L" on the doors of everyone who gives them money for a dog license? Sound familiar?
hattrix
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 8:20 p.m.
Why does the city not go after owners of dogs who are allowed to run free? The number of unleashed dogs at the parks in the city is out of control. If they gave out fines for this, it would probably bring in a lot more money than dog licenses.
Cathy
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 8:30 a.m.
Took my children to Riverside Park. A group of 4 had let there 3 large dogs off leash. One rushed to the playground and scared the stuffing out my 5-year-old, then ran off thanks to the barking of my (leashed) dog.
GoNavy
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 4:42 p.m.
Please describe a few of the actual adverse encounters you've personally had with unleashed dogs in city parks. After all, nobody needs a solution in search of a problem -
JRA
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 8:19 p.m.
and how much would this "dog census" cost? What a bunch of crap!
dogman32
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 8:16 p.m.
We have had feral cats set up housekeeping in our neighborhhod recently. We've asked the Humane Society to trap and remove them. For a fee of $20 per cat they will trap them, neuter them and return them to our neighborhood and then expect us to provide food and water for them. The birds we all feed are not in agreement with the Humane Society on this policy, nor are the two-legged residents.
swcornell
Sat, Oct 20, 2012 : 5:22 a.m.
Seems like bow hunting would also lower the population!
Laura Jones
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 2:46 a.m.
Get a dog. Say goodbye to the cats.
M
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 9:31 p.m.
@CLX - yes they do! The point of the catch-and-release program is actually backed by good data. The idea is that if you neuter the cats and put them back, they set up shop and drive out other feral cats. Since the cats can't breed, the cat population doesn't go up. It's actually a bit brilliant, but it doesn't seem to make sense up front, I agree. It also still leaves the problem of having feral cats around in the first place, which can be bad for fighting with domestic pets, and the local squirrel population.
dogman32
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 9:30 p.m.
Rant? Really? Maybe you should get the facts before you publicly embarrass yourself. Here's from the email we got from the Humane Society. If you doubt it you can call and ask about the TNR Program............. Thanks for your interest in the TNR program. Trap, Neuter, and Return, also known as TNR, is exactly how it sounds. All the cats in the colony are humanely trapped, in lived traps, then brought to the shelter. Once the cats are at the shelter they are sterilized, ear tipped for recognition, vaccinated against the rabies virus, and all females are treated with a dose of penicillin, to aid in the healing process from surgery. After the cat is sterilized, it is held for 24-48 hours, while it recuperates from surgery. They are then returned to their original habitat. Colony caretakers continue to provide food and monitor the health of the colony.
CLX
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 9:19 p.m.
Really, return them to the neighborhood?? The Humane Society does not dump animals in a neighborhood without a home, so sorry, I'm finding this rant hard to believe.
dotdash
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 8:08 p.m.
Wait. I thought I bought a dog license from the city. Has that changed?
flyonthewall
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 8:31 p.m.
From the article............... "A future civil infractions ordinance county-wide would not apply to the municipalities that already have their own dog licensing ordinances: Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township, Pittsfield Township and Superior Township." This would only apply to areas outside of the above referenced locales.
Floyd
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 8 p.m.
I want my neighbor's fish taxed too! At least my dog is a mammal!
golfer
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 7:55 p.m.
once again it is dogs. how about cats. we have two seperate laws for dogs and cats. example dogs have to have waste picked up. cats in the city that run loose do the same as dogs do. but no law against them. they go in our bushes and do waste on our law. but not laws against cats. cats in the city should remain in the house. not run loose.
grimmk
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 4:24 a.m.
I will never let my cats be outside animals! It's too dangerous for them and I don't want to deal with fleas. I know that it is required by the Humane Society that all cats be indoors, but I know a large percentage say they will but let their cats outside.
bunnyabbot
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 7:48 p.m.
There is no other reason for having dog licenses other than making 12 bucks off dog owners. Where the heck is the cat license issue? You start charging people $12 per cat then maybe they have an issue, until then they are simply taxing dog owners which is not fair. My dog doesn't need to be in some database.
GoNavy
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 4:40 p.m.
CLX - Do we track all of the wolves in Washtenaw county? After all, a wolf can seriously maim or even kill a person.
OLDTIMER3
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 12:06 p.m.
@clx I have. Cats can do severe damage with their claws and teeth. I knew a guy that a cat for whatever reason jumped from a tree onto his head and bit and clawed him severly when he tried to lift it off.Cats claws carry all sorts of bacteria from digging in the kitty litter.
grimmk
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 4:23 a.m.
Dog are outside animals. Cats, if you are a responsible owner, are inside animals. There aren't cat parks, there are dog parks. I don't take my cats for walks. People take their dogs everywhere and thus they need to know if the dog has gotten its rabies shot in case an incident occurs.
brian
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 3:05 a.m.
What next, a child license.
Laura Jones
Fri, Oct 19, 2012 : 2:44 a.m.
CLX: Please tell me how a dog license helps anyone avoid serious harm. Obviously you know nothing about cats. They can and do inflict serious harm on people. Don't believe me, see what happens when one bites you - its serious.
golfer
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 11:01 p.m.
CLX come on. you tell me cats do not have an health issue. they sure do by running loose. i am sure you probably have cats and home. this is not a cat or dog issue. it is about giving them the same treatment. the city and county are SCARED TO TAKE ON THE CAT ISSUE.
CLX
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 9:23 p.m.
Dogs are tracked because they can seriously harm and even kill humans. I'm sure that cats can get in their licks, but I haven't heard of a cat causing anyone to get stitches or go to the hospital. Cats tend to run from people, i.e., they are not aggressive. Most dogs are not aggressive, either, but a few rotten owners spoil it for everyone.
Brad
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 : 8:17 p.m.
If you're going to start charging for cats then I want licenses for children. But I would be in favor of a discount if they're neutered.