AGENDA STAFF REPORT

Agenda Item ~~AGENDA STAFF REPORT~~ ASR Control 09-001251
MEETING DATE:	03/02/10
legal entity taking action:	Board of Supervisors
board of supervisors district(s):	All Districts
SUBMITTING Agency/Department:	OC Community Resources (Approved)
Department contact person(s):	Ryan Drabek (714) 935-6427
	Steve Franks (714) 480-2788

Subject: Dog License Amnesty Program

ceo Concur	County Counsel Review		Clerk of the Board
Concur	N/A		Discussion
			3 Votes Board Majority

Budgeted: N/A		Current Year Cost: N/A		Annual Cost: N/A

Staffing Impact: No		# of Positions:		Sole Source: N/A
Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A
Funding Source: License Fees: 100%

Prior Board Action: N/A

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

Authorize the OC Community Resources Director or designee to establish a 45-day long Dog License Amnesty Program for dog owners in the 17 OC Animal Care contract cities and Orange County unincorporated areas.

Authorize the OC Community Resources Director or designee to approve the waiver of any past unpaid Dog License fee for dog owners in the 17 OC Animal Care contract cities and Orange County unincorporated areas.

Authorize the OC Community Resources Director or designee to approve the waiver of the $41 late fee for pet owners delinquent on their current dog license in the 17 OC Animal Care contract cities and Orange County unincorporated areas.

SUMMARY:

Authorization to establish a 45-day long Dog License Amnesty Program for dog owners in the 17 OC Animal Care Contract cities and Orange County unincorporated areas will provide the opportunity for dog owners to license their pets without paying delinquent license fees and late fees, thereby supporting public safety by ensuring dogs receive rabies vaccination through the licensing process.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

OC Animal Care processes approximately 165,000 dog licenses per year throughout its 17 contract cities and the unincorporated areas of Orange County. Per County Ordinance 4-1-70 & 71, all dogs in Orange County are to be licensed, rabies vaccinated, and must be wearing their license tags at all times.

The OC Animal Care dog license fee varies between altered (spayed/neutered) and unaltered dogs. The current annual fee for an altered dog license is $24 and an unaltered dog license is $100. There is also a $41 delinquent fee for dog owners who have not renewed the dog license. Dog owners who have owned their dogs for consecutive years and have never purchased a dog license are charged the corresponding license fee for each year of ownership up to four years, plus the $41 late fee for each year the dog was not licensed.

OC Animal Care recommends approval of a Dog License Amnesty Program tentatively set for April 1, 2010 through May 15, 2010. Pet owners who license or renew their dog's license during the amnesty period would only be required to pay the regular fee of $24 for an altered dog license or $100 for an unaltered dog license. All delinquent fees for licensing, late penalties, and non-compliance will be waived during the amnesty period. Owners who request an altered dog license with the intention to spay or neuter their pets would be given a temporary two-week license, at a fee of $24, in order to complete and provide proof of sterilization to OC Animal Care.

Dog licensing is an essential part of responsible pet ownership and helps reunite owners with lost pets. It is estimated that 97% of the animals that come to OC Animal Care with a license tag are returned home to their owners. Animal Control Officers also have the ability to return licensed dogs to their owners in the field without ever needing to bring the dog to the shelter. If someone finds a lost pet wearing a license tag, they can contact OC Animal Care who can notify the owner and connect them with their lost pet without ever needing to impound the animal. Per County Ordinance, OC Animal Care is responsible for rabies control and the dog licensing process helps protect the community by ensuring dogs receive a rabies vaccination. Other jurisdictions that have offered amnesty programs indicate that as the benefits of dog licensing are publicized through amnesty programs, most dog owners continue to renew licenses in the future. Therefore, the benefits of an Amnesty Program would have a long lasting effect in Orange County.

Board approval is requested to waive delinquent dog license fees, late fees, and non-compliance fees that have been billed prior to the amnesty period for those pet owners participating in the Dog License Amnesty Program. While the delinquent dog licenses and delinquent fees will be waived, it is anticipated that additional revenue will be generated from the potential increase in issuance of one-year altered and unaltered dog licenses. Furthermore, revenues will be generated from those dog owners who participate in the Amnesty Program that have never purchased a license in the past.

The success of the Amnesty Program will depend primarily on the joint marketing effort of OC Animal Care and its 17 contract cites. The proposed Amnesty Program is supported by the OC Animal Care Financial and Operational Advisory Board. Based on their recommendation, the proposed amnesty period of 45 days will provide sufficient time to ensure that all dog owners have the opportunity to participate in the Amnesty Program.

OC Animal Care will promote the Dog License Amnesty Program to local media through press releases and media notifications, and will include information in our quarterly newsletter, website, information flyers, and public education services. OC Animal Care will request the assistance of its 17 service cities to assist in promoting the Dog License Amnesty Program to their local media, through their newsletters and websites, and any other marketing tools they may have available. OC Animal Care contacted several city and County animal control agencies that offered dog license amnesty programs, which included the Montgomery County (Ohio) Animal Resource Center, the City of Chicopee (Massachusetts), Riverside County (California), and the City of Calgary, Canada. All of these entities reported that the dog license amnesty programs were successful in increasing dog license compliance.

Since OC Animal Care has never offered an amnesty program in the past, there is no empirical data that can be relied on to predict results. During the calendar year ending December 31, 2009, OC Animal Care issued 169,793 dog licenses, a 4.9% increase over 2008. This increase was achieved due to the considerable efforts of OC Animal Care staff to improve compliance, which includes a thorough review of the OC Animal Care database to ensure that all dog owners of record have been contacted, either through direct mail, telephone, or through personal contact. OC Animal Care believes that with a continued focus on improving compliance, combined with the added benefits of an amnesty program, dog license compliance and revenues should improve over the 2009 results.

Based on U.S. Census data, the total population of all cities and unincorporated areas contracting with OC Animal Care is estimated at 1,650,000. According to data from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), of this population figure, there are an estimated 245,520 dog owning households, which in turn own 417,120 dogs (just under 2 dogs per household). During the calendar year ending December 31, 2009, OC Animal Care issued 169,793 dog licenses.

Based on the AVMA statistics for the total estimated number of dogs living in all contract cities and unincorporated County areas, OC Animal Care's dog license compliance rate is estimated at 40.7%. Alternatively, these statistics suggest that there are 247,327 unlicensed dogs within OC Animal Care's licensing jurisdiction. The increase in revenues from the number of animal licenses issued in the Amnesty Program will vary depending upon participation most likely ranging from 5% to 15%, for an estimated $332,000 to $998,000 in additional revenue. However, OC Animal Care estimates that there are 2,144 dog owners with delinquent license in its database, collectively owing $601,319 in past due license fees and delinquency fees. An increase of 7.3% (or 12.395) in licenses processed as a result of the Amnesty Program would fully offset the total amount of the past due license and delinquency fees if waived.

OC Animal Care has sent official Orange County invoices and provided opportunities for dog owners with a delinquent license to renew their licenses or negotiate payment plans through a combination of direct mail correspondence, telephone calls, and attempted direct contact by OC Animal Care canvassers and Animal Control Officers. As these dog owners with delinquent licenses take advantage of the proposed Amnesty Program, the Department will write-off the corresponding outstanding fee revenue as approved by your Board.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

N/A

STAFFING IMPACT:

N/A