Updated April 5, 4:48 p.m.–
The City of Citrus Heights recently announced a new online pet licensing program aimed at increasing the number of licensed pets and decreasing animal shelter costs.
In a news release last month titled “Make Animal Licensing Easy,” the city said it had discontinued a licensing agreement with Sacramento County and launched its own pet licensing program in partnership with PetData, a Texas-based company that provides animal licensing services for municipalities and other agencies.
The cost to license a pet in Citrus Heights now runs between $10 to $30 per year, depending on whether the animal is altered and if a senior discount applies. Lifetime cat registration is also now offered for $60, or $50 for seniors age 62 and over — an option the city says was previously not offered through the county.
Mary Poole, operations manager for Citrus Heights’ general services department, said over 200 dogs have been licensed in 30 days, following the implementation of the new streamlined licensing system.
Although the city’s municipal code has required dogs and cats over four months of age to be licensed in Citrus Heights, Poole said current compliance rates are estimated between two and five percent for cats and 20 percent for dogs.
She said the city’s primary goal in requiring cat and dog licensing is to help reduce the spread of rabies, with proof of rabies vaccination required before a license is issued. Poole also said licensing increases the chance an animal will be returned to its owner quickly, rather than end up in a shelter.
In a presentation to the city council last month, Poole reported a total of 562 animals were sheltered in 2016 — down from twice that number five years ago.
A prior animal shelter contract with Sacramento County was expected to cost the city a minimum of $147,000 for the next fiscal year, according to Stephanie Cotter, a management analyst with the city manager’s office.
In response to rising shelter costs with the county, Citrus Heights council members voted unanimously last month to drop the county contract in favor of a contract with the Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Cotter said the SPCA contract has a base cost of $100,000 to shelter up to 500 animals for the next fiscal year, with additional fees estimated to add another $29,000.
“The reason why licensing reduces costs is we hope to return animals to the owner rather than going to the shelter,” Cotter said, noting that each animal diverted from the shelter saves approximately $200 in costs.
Those wishing to license their pet online can visit www.petdata.com, or submit paperwork via mail or in-person at city hall.
Additional information is also available on the city’s website, www.citrusheights.net/254/Pet-Licensing.
