KCMO begins door-to-door licensing sweeps -- Notes for pet owners & Animal Control

Just when you thought Kansas City, MO Animal Control couldn't come up with anything more ignorant, they're at it again.

On Wednesday, KCMO AC began a program to godo weekly sweeps in neighborhoods to check to be sure dogs are licensed in the city. Every Wednesday until September, AC will be in a designated neighborhood, knocking on doors, and checking to be sure people's pets are licensed. (More news for pet owners below -- please keep reading!)

According to the head of Animal Control, Patrick Egberuare: "The whole idea is to get people to understand the ordinance. We don't want to fill up the shelter. The fewer animals we take to the shelter, the better off we are, and the less expensive it will be for the animal owner."

Pardon my cynicism here, but if the whole idea was to let people know about the ordinance, it sure seems like announcing the information beyond the KC Free Press website would have been a nice call. At least midway through the first day of sweeps, a couple of the local news stations picked up the story. An official newsletter from the city's email list serve has yet to go out.

Meanwhile, if AC shows up and finds out your pets are licensed, you will likely be fined $75 per pet. All dogs, cats, and ferrets must be licensed.

While several of the rescue groups have been openly supportive of this move (one of which is the shelter that contracts with animal control - and receives all fine money), it is important to note that pre-recession, Kansas City's poverty level was over 17%.  I know that it is even higher than that now -- and Animal Control has said it is going to focus on neighborhoods that have the highest number of animal control calls -- with yes, are typically low-income neighborhoods. A $75 fine (multiplied for each animal you own) will surely be cost-prohibitive to a large percentage of our city's population -- which is going to spell trouble for our shelters.  Also, don't forget that our ACO's are still working with a quota system performance standard that they have to meet -- so they're being incentivized to confiscate animals.*

*I want to note here, that KCMO does have some very good, caring ACOs out there who will do the right thing. But there are also several who will absolutely take the laziest route out doing anything -- and those are the ones that typically cause us problems.

In a city where animal cruelty and neglect are huge issues, I'm just amazed KCMO is taking time to do this. It's a waste of time and resources -- and will undoubtedly lead to more animals unnecessarily going to the shelter. It's a shame.

Notes for Pet Owners

Kansas City Dog Advocates has a great article about what to do when AC comes knocking on your door that is worth the read, but there are a few really important points I want to bring up:

1) First of all, license your pets. Put the tags on your pet and it will make it easier for those who find your pet to get the pet home to you. That's a good thing.  And if your pet is altered, the cost is only $10, so it is very affordable.

2) Know when they are coming to your neigbhorhood. They have published a list (I believe this was a must to avoid 4th Amendment violations - similar to how sobriety check points must be published in advance) of the neighborhoods they will be targeting.  Know when they are coming to your neighborhood so you can be prepared.

3) When animal control comes to your door -- DO NOT LET THEM IN YOUR HOME. If you answer your door at all, step outside and close the door behind you. They can only come into your home without a warrant if you invite them in. But close your door, anything they see, smell or hear through the door can be used to have "probably cause".

4) The city's pet limit is four pets. If you are over the pet limit THEY WILL SEIZE YOUR PETS.

5) In KCMO, it is illegal to feed and care for feral cats. If you feed the cats, according to city law, you own them. This means they are subject to licensing and pet limits. Yeah, it's ignorant -- but be prepared!

Again, not every animal control officer is a problem -- but because you don't know who will be at your door, prepare for the worst case scenerio.  And please pass word around to your friends and neighbors.

NOTE FOR KCMO AC -- YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG

Ok, I get it. It's probably pretty annoying for you to have a law on the books such as licensing that only about 5% of the population actually abides by. But here's the deal - you've earned this.

The city's animal control department has been notorious -- for years - for not working with the residents of this city. Taking pets that are over the pet limit (even if they're well cared for), confiscating and killing 'pit bulls' for not being altered, harrassing feral cat caretakers, quota systems to mandate ACOs bring in a certain # of animals each month,  for years killing about 70% of the pets that enter the shelter (something that has recently changed -- but only because the city no longer officially runs the shelter), not scanning for microchips, etc, etc.

Over the past decade (or more), KCMO AC has earned its reputation of being a punish-first, catch and kill animal control department. If you want people to comply with the law, they need to have some assurance that they won't be targeted by AC. And right now, THAT"S NOT HAPPENING.

Thinks like neighborhood sweeps are another step in reinforcing the catch-and-kill-desire-to-punish vision the residents of KCMO have of Animal Control in this city. If you want people to work with you and sign up their pets -- most will do that -- if you make it not seem like a way to be targeted by the city. You must earn back some of the trust you've lost over the past 10 years.  Offer people something:

1) Free rides home for licensed pets that get loose the first time

2) When you meet with people and they don't have their pet licensed, offer to license them on the spot for them instead of slapping them with a $75 fine.

3) Some assurance that people who care for their pets will not be harrassed.

But these sweeps, along with the quota, are a step in the wrong direction.

Comments

[KC KS Kills Dogs]

Yes Brent they're doin' it wrong.....already an urgent plea from 1/2 Way Home - KCMO's shelter ................

THIS COCKER'S NAME IS LUCKY. HE IS GOING TO BE DROPPED OF AT THE KCMO SHELTER IF I DON'T GET COMMITMENT FROM RESCUE ASAP. THE LADY WHO HAS HIM TAKES GREAT CARE OF HIM BUT IS OVER THE LIMIT WITH DOGS. SHE NEEDS HIM GONE ASAP HE IS BLIND IN ONE EYE. ABOUT 4YEARS OLD UP-TO-DATE ON ALL VACCINES AND KNOWS BASIC COMMANDS.. VERY LOVING BOY AND DOES GREAT WITH OTHER DOGS AND CATS. PLEASE HELP THIS GUY BEFORE HE ENDS OF AT THIS SHELTER...... SORRY FOR THE POOR PIC BUT I HAD TO TAKE SOME VERY FAST AND GET BACK TO WORK.... AND THIS WAS THE BEST. WILL TRY TO SEND A BETTER ONE OUT TOMORROW
IF YOU CAN COMMIT PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL 816-462-9787.. SO I CAN GET HIM TO SAFE HAVEN OTHER THAN THIS SHELTER...

[Brent]

Unless she's already busted, she should so keep that dog. She can easily find a place for it for the one day of sweeps.

Because we need to be taking dogs that were once rescued from abuse away from pet owners....that's going to solve the problem.

[YesBiscuit!]

"Just when you thought Kansas City, MO Animal Control couldn't come up with anything more ignorant, they're at it again."

Living in the deep south, I keep my "they can't think up anything more ignorant" bar in the dirt. But this thing is stupid, and I speak with some authority (see previous sentence).

[SocialMange]

The stupidity of pet limits never ceases to amaze me. What, they'd leave one abused animal but seize well-cared-for pets if there's more than four? Asinine. The entire thing stinks.

[Brent]

SM,

Counting to four is easy for them --even for the lowest of their group. I'm not sure if anything else is.

[Melody Kelso]

I am so sorry to the volunteers and staff of KCMO who was excited about recent successes in publicity and adoptions. What a real kick to the morale when the community and the city works directly against this much needed social reform. I hope that someone decides to assess the real problems and designs an intelligent approach. Seriously, with animals getting killed left and right on tax dollars dimes, don't you think you owe it to even the non animal loving public. Quit wasting funds for a problem that could have already been solved, but someone is out thinking of ways to increase revenue and killing more animals. It isn't an economical or humane approach, but it seems to be a common one. I can't wait for the person who can actually think outside of the box.

[Brent]

Agreed Melody. And I fear that serious change won't happen unless we get new people creating animal welfare policies...or a serious change of heart from those who are currently making them. But ever policy they make seems to work against the goal of ceasing to kill animals in our shelter.

[Di]

Why are neighborhood associations listed on the KCMO's target list? Did KCMO reach out to those associations? Are they participating in the sweeps?

[Brent]

Di,

My understanding is that Animal Control targeted neighborhoods, but are reaching out to neighborhood association leaders to inform their members that the sweeps are coming...

[bq]

As incredibly naive as it may sound, the simplist way to deal w/the animal control problem is.... drum roll.... DON'T ANSWER THE DAMN DOOR. PERIOD. Yep, that's it. Nope.... there actually ISN'T anything more to it! If they catch you on the way in... or out... go on about your business... ie go inside and shut your door... drive away, etc. Becuz the bottom line is this... they cant enter your home w/out a warrant (which they do not have)... and they cant cite you for something that YOU dont choose to let them in to see... and its doubly hard to issue a citation while you're driving down the street... behind locked door, etc. Their options are simple.... knock on your door for forever... or leave. Believe mr, they'll choose option 2 sooner or later... problem solved. Oh, and don't be intimidated if they call the cops... absent a warrant, they are restricted to the EXACT same 2 options.

[bq]

Just a clarification to my previous post: In my experience, animal control primarily deals with SCUMBAGS...ie people who are abusing or neglecting their animals who ABSOLUTELY DESERVE to be fined, imprisoned, or both... but if you are taking good care and provide for your pet family, and they are just there to be a pain in the butt over ridiculous technicalities when the animals are perfectly well cared for and not bothering anyone... then simply dont answer your door or otherwise acknowledge their presence. As simplistic as it sounds... yep... if you just ignore them long enough... they WILL go away. True!