HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6City of Lakeville
Police Department
Memorandum
To: Mayor and Lakeville City Council
From: Jeff Long, Police Chief
Copy: City Administrator Miller
Date: May 22, 2019
Subject: Dog Licenses
Dog licenses have become a frequent topic amongst municipalities. With the advent of chip
technology, there is a debate on their value to a community. Many dogs now have a microchip,
implanted in their body, that may be scanned to identify who the dog belongs to.
According to the last Census, 48% of American households owned at least one dog.
The 2018 Met Council Community Profile puts Lakeville at 21,788 households.
Calculating the Census numbers of dog ownership, and Lakeville’s total households, we have
approximately 10,450 dogs in our community.
A Lakeville Dog License costs $20.00. It is valid for 2-years. A replacement dog license is $1.00.
We spent $205.00 to purchase our 2018-2019 stock of licenses.
In 2018, we sold 439 licenses. That roughly translates to a 4% compliance rate by Lakeville residents.
Of the 439 dog licenses sold, 202 were sold at City Hall, 165 were sold at Dakota Pet, and 72 were sold
at the Police Department. Our dog license revenue in 2018 was $8,666.00.
Comparatively, in 2017, we sold 503 licenses, generating a revenue of $10,406.00. That translates to a
decrease of $1,740.00 in 2018 sales.
City employees have spent approximately 91-hours of administrative time processing dog licenses.
Each license, from start to finish, takes between 10- and 15-minutes to process. That time is spent with
the buyer, writing receipts, maintaining the database, and filing. Salaries for the processing time spent
reduce any revenue generated by the licenses.
In days gone by, people depended on dog licenses to trace dogs back to their owners. In the modern
era, most owners have “chipped” their dog. The Police Department has chip readers that scan the
implant to find out where the dog belongs.
After speaking to our Community Service Officers, who manage our animal control function, they
estimate they have used dog licenses 5-6 times throughout 2018 to track dog ownership.
A study published by the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association indicated nearly 22%
of lost dogs entering animal shelters were reunited with their families. However, the return-to-owner
rate for microchipped dogs was over 52% (a 238% increase).
With the lack of licenses being used by the Police Department for tracking animals, and the general
lack of compliance by Lakeville dog owners, we have discussed the value of dog licenses. It seems
regardless of a decision on moving forward with dog licenses, it is prudent to focus on ensuring
Lakeville dog owners are aware of the option to microchip their pets.