MANALAPAN – Township health officer David Richardson has suggested that not only should the licensing period and fee schedule for dog licenses be extended and increased, but also that officials should look into the possibility of requiring cats to be licensed.
Noting that it costs Manalapan $100 per cat to take a cat that has been found running loose to the kennel, and if the owner does not ask for the cat back, the cost falls to the township, Richardson said, “There are strong laws controlling dogs, historically, everywhere. Cats, however, have had free reign. Not just in Manalapan, but everywhere.”
A dog found to be running loose costs $70 to take to the kennel, according to Richardson.
Regarding the issue of dog-licensing fees, Richardson noted that the state had lifted a previous cap on what towns may charge for dog licenses.
Along with suggesting that the time period for a dog license be extended from one year to three years, Richardson also suggested that officials raise the annual fee for a dog license from the present rate of $7 to $12 per year for a spayed or neutered animal and from the present rate of $10 to $15 per year for non-spayed or non-neutered dogs.
Richardson said the fee increase, if adopted, would be the first one in 15 years.
If a three-year licensing period was added to the township ordinance, Richardson said the one-year license should nonetheless remain an option.
Speaking about the $20,000 appropriation that is provided in the municipal budget annually for animal control costs, Richardson said, “That money gets eaten
up fast.”
Richardson said he was suggesting that the Township Committee members consider these options because the additional revenue would help in recouping money spent.
“We’re looking to catch up,” he said.
Noting that Manalapan spends about $55,000 per year in animal control costs, Richardson also told the governing body at a recent meeting that rabies prevention is the foundation for licensing.
Richardson said the licensing fees for animals should be looked at as an offset fee much like the fees restaurants have to pay for the permit they receive after passing a municipal inspection.
Mayor Andrew Lucas promised Richardson the members of the governing body would take the matter under advisement and act on the matter in time for his request for a decision that would allow him to set a new fee structure in place in January.