There are several compelling reasons for animal licensing which is why animal lovers, humane societies, the National Animal Control Association and many others are such strong proponents of animal licensing programs. The reasons include:

1) Public Health

2) Greater Likelihood of Reuniting Lost Pets with their Owners

3) Reducing Pet Overpopulation

4) Improved Data Means Better Service

1) Public Health Considerations

Animal licensing is utilized primarily to monitor rabies vaccination compliance because there is no treatment for rabies. The only option is post-exposure prophylaxis before symptoms develop. The post-exposure rabies vaccine is 100% effective until a person demonstrates symptoms of rabies. Once symptoms develop, rabies is fatal. The window for treatment is generally about 60 - 90 days after the exposure although symptoms have developed within 30 days.  It is also important to note that a bite or a scratch from an animal is not the only way rabies can enter the system.  Any infected saliva that lands on mucus membranes in the body (nose, mouth, eyes, etc.) can easily penetrate the mucus membrane and enter the nerve endings to float up to the brain.  The higher the entry or bite is on the torso, the quicker it will reach the brain. Once in the brain it is invariably fatal.

2) Greater Likelihood of Reuniting Lost Pets with their Owners

Approximately 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 dogs and cats are placed in animal shelters annually and 50% to 75% of them are euthanized, generally in three to seven days. In many communities, the percentage may be as high as 90% of all animals. However, if an animal is licensed and wearing a tag, the animal has nearly a 100% likelihood of being reunited with its owner. Furthermore, some animals only wear a rabies tag which would just      (more)

have the veterinary clinic information. While theveterinarian is contacted in order to locate the owner of the pet, unfortunately, not all clinics are able to look up rabies tag numbers, especially if they are not computerized. A good deal of time is saved by having the owner information in a central database. Also, PetData provides a 24 hour/7 day a week online pet lookup feature so that if an individual finds a pet, he or she can look up the pet owner directly so that the pet never has to go the shelter.

3) Reducing Pet Overpopulation through Animal Licensing

Abandoned and lost animals who live on the streets pose a health threat to humans and other animals. They get into trash containers, defecate in public areas or on private lawns, and in the hunt for food, they often prey upon wildlife and may pose a significant risk to endangered species in the region. They may carry and spread diseases, not to mention the hunger, pain and loneliness of the lost animals themselves. Animals left to fend for themselves may become aggressive and attack children and adults. There is a national public health epidemic of dog bites with more than 4.5 million each year. Bites by “dangerous” dogs have drawn an enormous amount of media attention, and fatalities caused by dangerous dogs are a serious concern.

Clearly, pet overpopulation is not just a problem for the animals or for the shelters involved. Each year communities are forced to spend millions of taxpayer dollars trying to cope with the consequences of this surplus of pets. These public costs include services such as investigating animal cruelty, humanely capturing stray animals, and sheltering lost and homeless animals.

The fees in most cities and counties are specifically designed to encourage pet owners to spay/neuter their animals.  Loose, stray and unwanted animals are the most costly part of animal control (ACOs to pick them up, vehicles to transport them, kennels to house them as well as food, water and, unfortunately, the costs of euthanasia in most cases).  By reducing the numbers of stray, unwanted and loose animals through spay/neuter programs, the costs of animal control will be significantly reduced over time.

4) Improved Data Means Better Service

Municipal Animal Control agencies need to have records of rabies vaccinations in a central database that can be reported on by owner, street address, and zip code, for several reasons.

• When Animal Control has access to a central animal licensing database, it can easily determine if loose animals have a current rabies vaccination. An animal control officer can also find out more detailed information regarding the rabies vaccination, such as the date of the vaccination, the lot number, and the manufacturer of the vaccination.
  
• Animal Control can target education and enforcement efforts in neighborhoods that have low animal licensing rates.
  
• Most Animal Control agencies are forced to euthanize found animals within a few days due to the large number of found animals and the limited space available to shelter them. A comprehensive and current database makes it much easier for Animal Control to find owners of lost animals.
  
• A central database results in much quicker investigations of dog bites.

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Summary

Requiring animal licensing is first and foremost a health issue. Rabies is a fatal disease, and animal licensing is the primary method for promoting and monitoring compliance with rabies vaccination laws. In addition, pet overpopulation and the problems associated with it can be aided through an effective animal licensing program. Finally, animal licensing is the most effective way to reunite a lost animal with its owners.

Humane Society of the United States Pet Overpopulation Statistics

Number of cats and dogs entering shelters each year: 6–8 million

Number of cats and dogs euthanized by shelters each year: 3–4 million

Number of cats and dogs adopted from shelters each year: 3–4 million

Number of cats and dogs reclaimed by owners from shelters each year: 600,000 to 750,000. 15–30% of dogs and 2–5% of cats entering shelters

Number of animal shelters in the United States:Between 4,000 and 6,000

Percentage of dogs in shelters who are purebred: 25%

Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year:3

Average number of kittens in a litter:4–6

Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year:2

Average number of puppies in a litter:6–10

[read more at hsus.org]