Hi all.  I've been reading this debate over licenses for a while now and
just wanted to add my two cents.
 
My city doesn't require licenses for ferrets, but I have licensed our dog
and all three cats.  In my mind, it's extra security, kinda like they're
'legal residents' of the city.  I don't know about your town or city, but
here it's been proven to be a matter of life and death.
 
This was a front-page story earlier this summer.  A 20-year-old family cat
snuck out of the house and ended up sitting in a neighbor's yard.  Just
sitting, not doing anything.  The neighbor called the Humane Shelter or the
police (depending on time and day) to have the cat picked up.  Then the
owner asked the neighbor if she had seen her cat.  The neighbor told the
owner that the cat had been picked up.  The cat had only been in custody
for 45 minutes before it was euthanized.  The city doesn't have the room
to house all the cats they find, so they don't bother taking the time to
find owners.  Dogs are a different story - they get a week.  Now this is
(hopefully) going to be changed.  The front-page story really let the
residents know how their system works.  (My neighbor, who works for the
city, said that another city employee told her the cat was covered with
sores.  I find that hard to believe, because none of the many people
interviewed for the story - including people from the H.S. - ever said
anything like that.)
 
I keep records of all licenses I get, for all the animals.  I get
replacements if the collars are lost (the dog and one cat have done that
so far).  If the city required me to license Rosie, or our birds, you can
bet I would.
 
Maybe it's just in my head, but the idea that my pets have licenses with
the city is extra security.
 
Michel
[Posted in FML issue 2841]