Upping dog license costs?

Summerland council will be considering an increase of $10 per dog licence for next year, following a pitch from district staff to match increasing costs.

Currently, the district charges $60 for un-spayed or un-neutered (i.e. intact) and $30 for spayed or neutered dogs.

While this matches nearby municipalities costs, with Penticton's 2025 expected rates to be $35 for neutered / spayed dog and $70 for intact, RDCO rates to be $20 and $60, and Kamloops to be $30 and $65, the district’s dog licence fees have not been updated since 2017.

According to staff's report, the cost has not kept up with inflationary pressures.

"The District of Summerland has made a substantial amount of investment to support dog owners in recent years, including the construction of two feature dog parks, one at Peach Orchard Park and another at Dale Meadows Sports Complex," staff added.

"In addition to the physical construction of the parks, these dog facilities have also been associated with increased operational impact to the district’s bylaw enforcement cost centre, as well as parks maintenance. For these reasons, staff are of the opinion dog owners should pay more to cover this additional operational cost impact rather than relying on general taxation."

This $10 increase to the dog licence fees to be $40 for spayed or neutered and $70 for intact dogs.

Staff are also asking that council remove the 50 per cent discount off the licence (i.e. pro-rating) after June 30.

"Most dog licences are renewed in the early part of a calendar year, and this 50 per cent discount provides some administrative burden for when new licences are issued after June 30."

The district said they issue on average about 1,000 dog licences in each calendar year, which means an additional $10,000 in projected additional revenue.

If council approves these changes, they will be included as amendments to the related bylaw in the 2025 budget meeting on Dec. 17, 2024.

Council will discuss the fee change proposal on Tuesday.