Dog licenses will probably cost more in Sussex County next year, but county officials have not yet decided how the licenses will be sold. That depends on what action Sussex County Council takes at its Tuesday, Nov. 10 meeting and after a public hearing in early December.
Under a state law passed last year, Sussex County is now responsible for its own dog control.
One change is for certain – even though it could cost more for dog licenses, the county will lose money on its dog-control program.
Revenue from the issuance of dog licenses is forecast at around $68,000; the dog-control program is expected to cost about $600,000, according to County Administrator David Baker.
“It’s a major loss of money for the county – about $500,000,” said Council President Vance Phillips, R-Laurel.
It’s expected the dog-control program will be awarded by contract to the Kent County SPCA, the agency that currently handles dog control in Sussex County. The overall program includes annual kennel inspections, agents to answer dog control problems and adoption measures.
County staff has proposed raising dog licenses from $3 to $10 for spayed and neutered dogs and from $6 to $15 for unaltered dogs. All dogs 6 months of age and older are required to have a license and provide proof of a rabies vaccination.
Rates for kennel owners with four or more dogs for show, trial, sale or breeding would increase from $21 to $60 for operations of less than 13 dogs to $101 to $200 for larger operations with more than 51 dogs.
Baker said about 5,700 dog licenses and about 60 kennel licenses would be issued the first year.
The fine for not getting a license would be $50 for the first offense and $100 for subsequent offenses.
Council debated at length county staff’s proposal to issue licenses for one year and not offer licenses for two or three years, as well as the plan to sell licenses annually, not prorated by the calendar year.
Eddy Parker, director of assessment, said it would be less complicated, at the start of the county program, to offer one-year licenses. Later on, he said, multiple-year licenses could be offered.
“What would be the difficulty to have a license run from September to September?” asked Councilman George Cole, R-Ocean View.
“We can do it any way you want,” Parker told council.
Baker said that under the current plan, licenses would be administered by mail, through the county’s website or purchased at the county administration building. Other outlets would have forms for licenses that could be mailed to the county, but these outlets would not have licenses for sale.
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