New animal ordinance proposed to control rabies in Laredo
By
Ray Gomez
Story Created:
Dec 8, 2009
Story Updated:
Dec 9, 2009
A proposed animal ordinance would require pets to be registered with the city.
Local veterinarians say our city is behind in pet registration, but that is not the problem.
The issue is the cost involved with how the city wants to collect the registration fee.
Cities across the state have already adopted the policy of registering pets to keep track of animals and vaccinations.
The city of Laredo would like to do the same but how they're going to do it has local vets upset.
Local veterinarians believe all pets should be registered with the city of laredo, however they say, registration should not be linked to the rabies vaccine because the extra fee could cause a major public health danger:
“If you alter the price of the rabies vaccine then you run a great risk that our number of dogs being vaccinated will drop dramatically and leave us wide open for an epidemic."
Initially proposed by the city of Laredo Health Department was a $12 fee with your rabies vaccine.
So, if your local vet charges $12 for the rabies shot and then tacks on a $12 registration fee for the city. A pet owner would be spending $24 when they go to get their pet vaccinated.
"Laredo cannot afford those kinds of prices so basically when you start charging those kind of prices you would be discouraging people from getting their dogs vaccinated for rabies."
Director of the Health Department Dr. Hector Gonzalez says, they thought it would be easier to have the two together.
"We’ll work out with the vet so we can delineate what part is registration and what part is for the vaccine."
Also included in the proposed animal ordinance, all aggressive dogs must be micro-chipped.
"Those dogs will have to have a micro-chip so we can identify them because we've had persons who say, that's not my dog."
Local vets might be against Dr. Gonzalez linking registration and the rabies vaccine but they are on board with microchipping.
“If you microchip that is a number that a dog will have for the rest of its life."
Nothing is final.
Details still need to be worked out before presented to council for approval.
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A Knapp said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 2:11 AM
Thank God I gave up my pet, I foresee a lot of other people doing the same, but not "giving" them up, but rather abandoning them. Will the animal shelter foot the bill for micro-chips and vaccines?
33351627mona said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 9:12 AM
Ya, here we go not addressing the problem but a way for the city to complicate a problem, what do we care about what other cities have done. ya'll act like we belong with other cities, here is a surprise, you don't even take care of your kids much less pets.
33361957here we go said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 9:47 AM
these fools dont get it,we need more jobs in this city not new ways to tax us.this so called dr.needs to go back to mexico.if i had a pet i would not vaccine the pet.they cant even control the smoking
33363957If you are to poor... said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 11:19 AM
Ifr you think you are too poor to be responsible for your dog, be wise DO NOT HAVE ONE. Dogs are not toys, they are living beings that required MONEY. (AND LOVE) If you do not know what LOVE is then is not in your best interest to own a dog. DOGS ARE NOT TOYS to be discarded as old toys.
33370789Killing your pet said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 11:32 AM
The animals that are "giving up" to the animal shelter is just another word for Killing your own dog, in 3 days that dog is killed by "humane" means. ask your animal shelter about it. they will put it to "sleep" another word for killing. but it is a word to deceive the person and not to feel guilty about it.
33371784STOP FOOLING YOURSELF said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 11:40 AM
If you dont have the money, then you dont qualify to have a pet, Maybe the Webb county need to collect taxes from the people that irresponsible sell dogs to "poor" people that pay up to $300.00 to have a dangerous dog. The community as a whole do not have pay for the irresponsability of the "poor" people that dont want to invest in the community or in their own dogs.
33372314$ 24.00 is cheap said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 11:47 AM
$24.00 is nothing compared to what the "poor" people pays for the pit-bull and other dangerous breeds, the "poor" people pay from $100.00 to $500.00 to own a dog, but they dont feel responsible if that dog kills another human being or if is a threat to the whole neighborhood. if you are "too poor" do not have a pet.
33372824WRONG TIME FOR A NEW TAX said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 12:58 PM
THIS IS THE WRONG TIME TO ASK PET OWNER TO FORK OVER $12 TO REGISTER YOUR PET. SOME OF US CAN NOT AFFORD RIGHT NOW. IF THEY DO IT FOR FREE I'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO DO IT; BUT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR IT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. A LOT OF PETS ARE GOING TO END UP AT THE SHELTER TO BE KILLED.
33378129$12.00 said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 2:08 PM
$12.00 is what anybody will spent in hamburgers in 1/2 hour.. Get your "pobrecito" mentality out and welcome yourself in a more civilized society. is time to move to the first world mentality and get rid of the "pobrecito" way of life. Welcome to the United States of America.
33382922$12.00 is cheap said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 2:13 PM
Welcome to the first world, It is time for all those irresponsible "pobrecitos" who prefer to waste $300.00 in a dangerous dog and later start crying for few dollars to register their dogs. How much money those "pobrecitos" spend in Beer every week? Welcome to the United States of America and invest few dollars inyour pet and in the community.
33383202cg said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 3:13 PM
How about controlling H1N1!!!!!
33387164How about illegal sales?? said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 5:12 PM
The trafficking of dogs in this city is widespread, we can see the people selling dogs all over the city, This is very irresponsible, The city needs to control and tax all those dog traffickers NOW!. To see people selling dogs on Mcpherson and Shiloh all the time makes me vomit.
33394834NotMyFlop said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 6:04 PM
Requiring the registration fee to be paid at time of rabies vaccination is probably the easiest way to get compliance, it'll be a bit more burdensome on the vets to collect and remit the fee (like sales tax). The issue is the City is ridiculous charging $12 - they will more than cover their costs charging a dollar or two, and at the same time let the vet keep $.50 or so from each one to cover their costs of collecting and submitting registration fees. Charging $12 is way too much.
33397894Animal Control are you listening?? said on Wednesday, Dec 9 at 7:41 PM
Dr. Gonzalez..Go back to the drawing board and come back with a better incentive for the Vets and for the population. The new ordinance is GREAT !!!!!! Go for it we are behind the city in this one all the way.
33402502NOT ASKING FOR PITTY said on Thursday, Dec 10 at 4:25 PM
I'M A PERSON WHO HAS GIVEN A HOME TO STRAYS. I HAVE ONE DOG AND FIVE CATS. THEY ARE ALL FIXED. THEY ARE NOT RUNNING LOOSE. THE CATS HAVE THERE OWN CAGE THAT IS 8X8. I GIVING THEM A HOME TO FINISH THEIR DAYS. AT ONE POINT I COULD AFFORD A LOT OF THINGS BUT WITH THIS ECONOMY I HARDLY GETTING BY.
33457227discount for multiple animals said on Thursday, Dec 10 at 4:56 PM
For Responsible persons it will be fair to have a discount for multiple pets. If not, I still can afford to register my 10 cats.
33459114LAREDO WAKE UP said on Thursday, Dec 10 at 6:30 PM
SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT IN TOUCH WITH REALITY. SOME PEOPLE IN LAREDO ARE REALLY STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET. LIFE SEEMS TO HAVE TAKEN A DRASTICS CHANGE THAT WAS NOT EXPECTED. WHAT MAY BE SIMPLE FOR SOMEONE; MAY NOT BE SIMPLE FOR ANOTHER.
33463972To Laredo wake up said on Thursday, Dec 10 at 11:47 PM
The only people not in touch with reality is the irresponsible "poor" people that waste their money buying dangerous dogs for $300.00 each and later start crying for a few dollars wich is the cost in order to protect the public from this out of control animals.
33476296NOT EVERYONE PAYS $300 said on Friday, Dec 11 at 10:29 AM
I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE WHO SPEND BIG MONEY FOR PETS SHOULD BE MADE TO PAY TO REGISTER THEIR PET. BUT WE ARE NOT ALL IN THE SAME CATEGORY. DON'T MIX APPLES WITH ORANGES.
33494682Anonymous said on Friday, Dec 11 at 3:08 PM
I dont know where you are buying your animals ($300.00 is ridiculous if you ask me), but as george lopez says, we get our pets from the streets, strays if you will.
33513047Is a very small fee said on Saturday, Dec 12 at 12:28 AM
$12.00, $24.00 $50.00 is a small price to pay to register all dogs, This nothing compared to the thousands of dollars peole pay to the hospitals, doctors and medicines every time a kid or a senior citizen are attacked in Laredo. All residences in which a fence is not permitted by the city zoning dpt are at risk of being attacked by neighbors dangerous dogs.
33536074A Knapp said on Saturday, Dec 12 at 1:19 AM
It may be a small fee, yes. But are we absolutely sure that money is going to be used this way? With all the talk of corruption on these "blogs", it seems to me that we need to give the city less not more. Especially noting the hiring practices as of late, and increases of many city services.
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