Reader’s view: Pet license fees could help animal shelter

According to the article in the News Tribune, an estimated 80,000 cats and dogs in Duluth are unlicensed (“Councilor wants to beef up pet-licensing rules,” Nov. 9). At $8 per pet the annual income for the shelter would be $640,000. At $12 each, it would be $960,000.

I agree the shelter could use some improvements and there is a need for more people to staff it. The current employees at the shelter are great people who work hard and love animals. Their job can be physically and emotionally demanding. They risk the danger of being hurt by aggressive and/or frightened animals, and at times they have to deal with equally aggressive animal owners.

However, an annual increase of $640,000 to $960,000, in addition to the current operating budget, certainly would exceed the shelter’s needs over time.

So my question is: After the shelter is improved and more employees are hired, where will the extra money be spent?

Annette Jubie

Duluth

Tags: readers views, city of duluth, opinion, editorials, money, animals