MOUNT VERNON — Increased fees for dog and kennel licenses will bring in an estimated $35,000 to $40,000 to help offset costs at the Knox County Dog Shelter.
“We have not raised fees since 2009,” Commissioner Bill Pursel said. “Obviously, costs have gone up since then.”
A standard one-year dog tag will increase to $20, and a three-year tag will rise to $60. A lifetime tag will go to $200.
A kennel license (five dogs or more) will be $100.
Current fees are $16, $48, $160, and $80, respectively.
The increases become effective Dec. 1.
The county budgeted $399,128 in dog shelter expenses for 2024.
In 2023, dog license fees brought in $186,485, roughly 70% of the total revenue of $269,584.
However, County Administrator Jason Booth said the general fund had to provide an additional $150,000 to subsidize dog shelter operations.
“The new increases will bring in between $35,000 to $40,000 based on current tag numbers,” Booth said. “It’s a given that inflation and cost of dog care will go up.
“Obviously, we can’t raise fees enough to offset costs completely, but we figured we could help offset some of it. The goal of raising the fees is that we’ll only have to subsidize the shelter by $100,000 every year instead of $150,000.
“Thankfully, we have a great group of volunteers and people who donate food and things to help offset some of the expenses,” he added.
Dog Warden Brian Biggerstaff said individuals buying a tag for 2025 who did not buy a tag for 2024 could be fined.
“We could issue a citation. It’s at the officer’s discretion,” he said. “If they come in to get tags for 2025 and didn’t have them the previous year, they would pay a late fee for not having it.”
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Biggerstaff reported that 38 dogs entered the dog shelter in July, and 44 left.
Two of the dogs in the shelter as of Aug. 15 were strays being held for three days before being adopted. Biggerstaff said some owners are repeat offenders when it comes to stray dogs.
“I think we understand that sometimes accidents happen, and we don’t always issue citations every time somebody’s dog gets loose,” he said.
“But definitely if they’re habitual offenders of letting the dog run loose, then usually we crack down on that. Sometimes it takes a citation or two for them to realize they need to be more responsible.”
Six dogs waiting for adoption have been in the shelter for over 60 days. Biggerstaff said sometimes the delay is because the dog does not get along with a dog already in the family.
“Sometimes it could just be the stress from being at the shelter,” he said.
The six dogs could potentially go to a dog rescue.
However, Biggerstaff said, “When people from other counties call us to surrender their dogs, they’re always telling us that all the shelters are full and the rescues are full.”
