License Owners..or Pets…or Both?
According to the various animal associations and U.S. government figures, there are 60,000,000 dogs, 50,000,000 cats and millions of birds, hamsters, mice, rats, snakes, lizards, tigers, and other pets in the U.S.
If a free society offers rights of ownership to it’s citizens, which apply to everything from homes to cars, to pets, why not make the licensing and responsibility structure an integral part of the rights of citizenship?
Maybe we are doing it backwards.
If we license the right to own a pet, in addition to and preceding the right to license and obtain the actual animal, and make that license commensurate with the attendant responsibility and incidents of ownership, might we have a better system?
And, more importantly, wouldn’t the licensing process establish standards of care and community responsibility, which would allow us to hold owners responsible for consequences? In a free society, rights are supposed to be mutually balanced with the responsibility to care for and protect those rights, along with the concept of respecting the rights of your fellow citizens.
Owner licensing is commensurate with the tenants of a free society including “user fees” that allow management and enforcement. Owners and individual animal fees allow the hiring of necessary enforcement personnel, and maintenance of the infrastructure to manage the process.
Setting community standards, including owner responsibility, could and should include insurance against the actions of the pet. No insurance, no pet ownership license. We don’t allow a driver’s license without proof of insurance, why should we allow other “citizenship” rights without the necessary licensing process? For example, the liability insurance for a bird or a mouse, might be $1.00 or $2.00 annually; for a pit bull or other aggressive breed, $50.00 or $100.00 annually. Some part of those licensing fees could be used to set up an injured persons fund, similar to what we do for crime victims. Also, a reward could be offered for information leading to discovering illegal and unlicensed animals and owners.
Obtain a pet illegally and get caught? Sell a pet without a license?
Animal is destroyed; owner forfeits right to future animal licenses and ownership, and may be subject to fines and jail time. Animal injures another? Then the owner is personally responsible for damages. Catch an unlicensed animal on the street or through the enforcement process? Confiscate the animal and prosecute the owner.
No insurance? Felony jail time plus unlimited personal responsibility if convicted when animal injures another animal or person. If a dog gets loose and bites or kills someone, then the owner is responsible for medical bills, even felony prosecution where warranted. Who says that owners have a right to train pit bulls and other breeds and even other animals, to maim and kill, to fight?
With over 125,000,000 pets in the U.S., the time has long passed for a more comprehensive animal ownership structure which protects society and animals.
