The Lloydminster and District SPCA is reminding residents that pet licenses are mandatory in the city, and have benefits for pet owners.
The licenses currently cost $60 for un-spayed/un-neutered cats and dogs, $30 for pets who have been spayed or neutered and $20 for animals under four months old. It is an annual license which runs over a calendar year. All of the money from the licenses goes towards helping the SPCA.
SPCA Executive Director Jon Punshon says that the license helps pet owners, and makes work at the shelter easier.
“We’ve seen an increase in the number of licenses purchased, but certainly there’s a long way to go. The number of animals that come into our SPCA without a license or any form of identification, particularly cats, is very high, and the number of those cats that end up being returned to their owners is very low. The more identification that the animal has, the better chance we have of getting them home.
There are also penalties associated with not having the license, including a $100 fine if a dog is found loose without the ID. Punshon says that they are working with vets in Lloydminster to incentivize people getting pet licenses.
“We actually received a grant for the Lloydminster SPCA for microchips. What we decided to do is using that idea that they implemented in Edmonton here in Lloydminster, where to encourage people to get a license, it was also an opportunity to get a microchip.”
Punshon adds that the microchip is implanted in the pet for life, making it easier to track and find. People wanting the free microchip must have proof of purchase of the license and make an appointment with any vet clinic in the city.
The SPCA will continue this program until they’ve used the whole grant.