WELLINGTON NORTH – The township will no longer require dog licensing in 2025 as a way to save money after consistently low sales.
Approved at a Wellington North council meeting earlier this week, a new report on dog licensing in the township said the cost to run the program is no longer equal to the benefits provided to the community or pet owners and its existence can "no longer be justified" as dog license sales have decreased 57 per cent since 2017.
According to the report, the township continuing to offer dog licensing would likely result in a rise in costs and a decrease in revenue due to declining license purchases.
Staff estimate that of the 5,200 residential properties in Wellington North, there are approximately 2,288 licensed dogs. In 2023, only 1,179 licenses were issued.
"Historically, the purpose of dog licensing has been to identify and reunite lost dogs with their owners and licensing was the most effective way to provide this service," said staff in the report. "However, new tools have emerged that have significantly changed how lost dogs are identified and reunited with their owners...(and) with these mechanisms available, fewer dog owners are purchasing municipal licenses."
Dog lost and found services will also be discontinued, although this will not remove restrictions on dogs running at large and the township's requirement that all dogs wear identification through a collar or microchip.
From 2022 to Aug. 2023, the township's animal control officer received or attended 58 calls of which 42 were for dogs at large, three for dog bites and seven for barking dogs.
"If you watch the Mount Forest What's Happening (Facebook group), dogs are reclaimed on there more than there are ever through our Docupet tags," said township clerk Karren Wallace.
Councillor Sherry Burke was the only councillor in favour of continuing licensing at the meeting, sharing concerns about how it might impact puppy mills and neglected dogs.
"I just think licensing is important for a lot of reasons...I don't think it hurts to put a report together just to have a look if there is a hybrid model out there," said Burke.
Wallace said removing licensing will likely have no impact on puppy mills as it's often a zoning bylaw issue while neglected animals fall under the People's Animal Welfare Society's (PAWS) jurisdiction.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
