The Wichita Animal Control Advisory board passed a 14-point recommendation that includes cat licenses, mandatory microchipping and a free ride home for licensed pets on the loose.
The board’s approval starts the process of adoption by sending it to Wichita Animal Services, which is run by the Wichita Police Department (WPD). The WPD will contact the city attorney’s office to help draft any suggested legislation for the Wichita City Council, though not all of the recommendations require legislation.
The board formed a subcommittee to examine licensing issues late last year, and — after interviewing dozens of people, examining a half-dozen other comparable cities and reviewing years of data — compiled this list of recommendations:
- License both dogs and cats.
- Mandatory chipping.
- Offer a three-year license if pet has received a three-year vaccine.
- Change license pricing.
- Allow three dogs and three cats per household.
- Add dedicated employee to administer pet license program.
- Work with Kansas Humane Society to vaccinate for rabies and license age appropriate animals that leave their shelter.
- Increase license enforcement.
- Make information about getting a license easier to find online with consistent information on city, WAS, PD pages.
- Upgrade online licensing and add an application for initial license.
- For licensed pets, one free ride home a year instead of going to shelter.
- Improve quality and readability of license.
- Include important pet information on the back of the license.
- Rewards program to owner for licensing pet.
Licensing pets is important because it get pets home, get pets vaccinated and increases city revenue.
The Wichita Animal Shelter has seen a record year in dogs taken into the shelter while dogs returned-to-owner have fallen sharply. And while cat intakes is steady, so too are their mere 2% return-to-owner rate.
The board believes that dogs and cats should be taken seriously as parts of our families, and they should be treated with care, dignity and respect.
After decades of declining revenue and license participation, the board believes that an overhaul of the system is in order to bring it in alignment with the exceptions of the public and veterinarians, who are critical to the process.
An improved license is also part of the recommendation. The current dog license is a barely readable third carbon-copy receipt. The board proposed replacing that with attractive keep-sake licenses for both dogs and cats that could also be used as a rewards program that could potentially completely offset the price of the license — both for the city making it and for the citizen buying it.
A copy of the committees presentation is downloadable here.
The board voted to adopt all recommendations with five in favor, one against and one abstaining. The board is comprised of citizens appointed by their Wichita City Council district councilperson and two mayoral appointees, one at large and one veterinarian. The licensing subcommittee was made of three board members (George Theoharris, Mike Marlett and Ellen Querner) and three citizen volunteers: Chris Nickel, a retired business owner; Toni Wenger, a retired assistant pension manager for the city; and Dr. Teresa Burks, DVM, a veterinarian.