Dale Boyd
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Dog tags for canine companions in the regional district will soon be renewable online, but still need to be renewed annually, after the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) updated its dog control bylaw Thursday prompting discussion on the possibility for a one-time dog license fee in the future.
Dog owners in regional district Areas “A” through “I” will soon keep the same “lifetime” tag for their furry friends year over year and can renew the license online instead of picking up new tags each year.
New licensing software expected to be in place for the 2022 season will help dog owners in the regional district self-manage and obtain license renewals online. Expiry dates will be automatically tracked and notify owners when they need renewals. The new dog control bylaw replaces the one enacted by the RDOS in 2017 and mostly addresses the new system and housekeeping administrative amendments. Those who want to renew their dog tags in person will still be able to do so when the new system comes into effect.
The RDOS pulls in an average of $20,000 per year from dog licensing, but revenue was reduced to $13,325 in 2020 due in part to a lack of staff time to follow through with expired license renewals.
In a staff report, the regional district stated that eliminating requirements to issue new dog tags each year and doing away with manual updates for the licensing system will substantially reduce time commitments from bylaw services and front-counter RDOS staff. The RDOS voted unanimously to bring the new dog control bylaw into effect on Feb. 18.
However, the “lifetime” dog tag moniker sparked a discussion about the possibility of a one-time fee for dog licenses. Rural Osoyoos (Area A) Dir. Mark Pendergraft said he was disappointed the tags were not actually good for the lifetime of the dog, but still need to be renewed annually.
The possibility of a lifetime license could reduce revenue from dog licenses which pays for the dog control services, said Laura Miller, RDOS building and enforcement services manager. However, there was some interest from board directors to explore the option in the future.
“This is a nice step in the right direction that we are not changing out tags every year. Maybe we move forward on this and we look at some options down the road if it is something to look at,” said board chair Karla Kozakevich.
CAO Bill Newell noted that budgetary decisions are up to the RDOS board and they could decide to enact lifetime dog license fees if they choose to do so.
“We might actually get more people licensing their dogs. I would hazard a guess that we are only, at max, 20 per cent of the dog owners are getting a license, maybe less. If there was a lifetime (tag) we might actually get more that applied and the fees may go up,” Pendergraft said.
