About Dogs and Cats

The city requires dog or cat owners get a license for their pet. The code requires that a license be purchased every year and that the license tag is on the pet at all times. There is, of course, a practical reason: the tag is often the only way animal control officials have of identifying a dog or cat they pick up or that someone turns over to the animal shelter.
Fees are different than charges although many people use the terms interchangeably. Fees can be typed as user fees, charges or regulatory fees. Under standard guidelines, user fees and charges are defined as voluntary payments (“voluntary” in the sense that they are paid only to the extent the individual chooses to use the service) that are used to finance traditional governmental services such as water, sewerage, and mass transit; recreational activities such as golf and swimming; and miscellaneous programs such as animal shelters, continuing education programs, and dangerous tree removal. These charges are for a particular benefit that an individual receives. The purpose of the fee is to recover all or part of the cost of providing the service. To the extent that the government charges the full cost of the good, it is trying to imitate the private market.
The dog and cat license is a regulatory fee that is imposed as a result of a need to regulate activities for the collective good, typically for public health, safety, or other protective purposes. The specific public health issues are rabies, pet reproduction and dangerous animals. Fees purchase a privilege or authorization that applies only to those individuals who want to engage in an activity deemed to have a significant impact on the health and well-being of the community as a whole. Regulatory fees are applied to such activities as restaurant inspections, privilege’s in the street, building permits, dog licenses and marriage licenses. While the individual who pays the fee does not necessarily benefit personally from the good provided, the public does benefit. Furthermore, since a regulatory fee is not necessarily related to the cost of providing the good, this kind of fee does not try to approximate the private market.
The City Code states that the provisions of ch. 174, Wisconsin Statutes, and any amendments, shall be followed with respect to the licensing of dogs, owner's liability for damage caused by dogs, court orders to kill a dog, impoundment of dogs for running at large and for not being licensed, and penalties. Any violations of ch. 174, Wis. Stats., may be referred to the Jefferson County District Attorney for prosecution.
The Code requires every owner of a dog or cat in the City of Lake Mills to license every dog or cat that is owned, harbored, or kept within the City within 30 days of commencement of ownership or possession, or within 30 days of the dog's or cat's attainment of 5 months of age, and such license shall be obtained every year thereafter on or before January 1. If such license is not obtained prior to March 31 in any given year after the dog or cat is 5 months old, then a $5.00 late fee shall be imposed, in addition to any other penalty. Proof of current rabies vaccination of every dog to be licensed shall be required prior to the issuance of the license. The fees for licensing of dogs and cats within the City shall be set by the Council by resolution from time to time.
Also every person who owns or possesses a dog or cat within the City that is over 5 months old and who has owned or possessed such animal for more than 30 days shall have a current license tag attached to the animal whenever the animal is outdoors unless the dog or cat is securely confined to a fenced area.
The city’s basic annual license fees are $10 for unaltered and $5 for altered for both cats and dogs. Owners have until March 31 to license their pets, after that there is a $5 late fee imposed for existing pets. New pets can be licensed throughout the year and are not charged the $5 late fee. Because we are still in an “open license” period for 2012, the numbers below are from 1/1/11-1/31/11.
2011
DOGS: $2780 collected for 478 licenses and $225 in late fees were assessed = Total $3005; County received $2,318 and the City kept 687.00
CATS: $680 collected for 133 licenses and $35 in late fees were assessed = Total $715