Just so you're prepared. I got my warning, I'm passing this warning to you. If you own a dog, and you walk your dog along the lakefront at Loyola Park, you will get a ticket if your dog doesn't have a 'Official City of Chicago Dog License'.
You ask what the cost is for these licenses? Well, if you've got a male or female dog, unneutered (meaning unspayed or uncastrated) it's a whooping $50 bucks.
If your male or female dog is neutered, (i.e., spayed or castrated) the cost is only $5 dollars.
The fine if you're caught without this license? Well ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure it's a hell of a lot more than the license itself. Plus, you still have to buy the license anyhow.
Is this a city money generator? Another way for the politicians to dig deeper in your pockets? You bet. Does this target the easy target? You bet.
Why only target dog walkers along the lakefront? Why not target every dog owner that walks their dog down every street of Rogers Park? And why didn't the Alderman's office send out this warning to the pet owners about this zero tolerance policy against the pet owners who walk their dogs along the lakefront?
BLOGNOTES: Snakes are not subject to city licensing.
19 comments:
Now that the vets are going with shots that last 2 years for rabies, how about if the city has 2 year licenses?
Who wrote the ticket? Was it the CPD or the CCSP?
It's just your luck Craig, sticklers are stuck. personally, they never catch me....ha ha ha dare I mention it, I'm looking for trouble. I'm not getting any licence, I'd rather try to out run em.
HOPE THIS INCLUDES THE DOGS THAT RUN LOOSE IN LYOLA PARK
Get the license, for your dog's sake. God forbid anything happen, like your dog gently nips a kid's heel,or something like that.
Why flout a rule you know applies to everyone? Fight it systematically if you think it's unfair, but flout it at your peril. It's not worth it.
After Memorial Day until Labor Day things become harder for the people who have dogs...it is more than just the city making money I think, it is that dogs and their 'owners' become easy scapegoats for frustration and 'illegality.' As if it is not difficult enough for the dogs to find some space to sniff and go to the bathroom just walking down the street with all the fenced in and landscaped parkways. But getting back to the beach and park issue...If the community really cares about the park, perhaps the people who barbeque and then dump coals at the base of trees could be ticketed for leading to the disease and what will be eventual death of the trees.
Hi Toto,
I agree it's not the aldermans responsibility to address this issue. HOWEVER. In his attempt at transparency, we are being subjected to blast email after blast email.
Most are relevant, though the one claiming him a hero after the purse escapade was questionable. I think the issue at hand certainly deserves communication from Joe's office, in hopes of serving his constituents to the best of his ability.
I would also encourage him to enable citizens to register their dogs through his office.
Problem is, as of tomorrow, if dogs aren't registered they could be ticketed every day until they recieve their tag via mail. Owners have no proof they have applied, unlike drivers who get a temporary tag. My dogs just got their shots. I sent their paperwork into the city. I do not have their tags. How do I prove to the police that I have done this?
I would also mention that this is a waste of police time. Animal Care and Control should be doing this, leaving our patrol officers free to deal with gangs, drugs and crime.
Ah yeah, $5.00 for a dog license is a big money generator for the city, I see marble sidewalks in our future.
So the aldermans is to call or notify you that you need to ante up $5 to walk your dog who probably urinates on everybodies lawn but the owner walking the little pisser. Sidewalk's with grass parkways are yellowed and destroyed by pissing dogs and your upset because Joe doesn't call you.
What other animal in Chicago is allowed to piss and crap anywhere they want in mass quantities and not have to pay any of the damage. Get a license and find another cause and I guess I get knocked off this blog.
Can you expound on how they knew your dog wasn't registered? Was is because it didn't sport the little metal tag? Or do they look it up in some database?
I registered my dog, but between the chicago tag, the rabies tag, a tag with his address (in case he runs off), the evanston beach tag and the skokie dog park tag, he's already got a lot of doggie 'bling' on his collar....
Dorothy said
"What other animal is allowed to piss and crap anywhere"
Apparently CDOT employees are. Caught one pissing on Sherwin this morning.
ha ha ha! good one Margot.
Give that pissin' worker a dog license. I think we should charge owners by their estimated annual "piss discharge". Afterall, we charge chemical companies to dump their waste streams.
Thank you Margot, for pointing out how ticketing dog owners is a waste of police time...I don't know about Animal Care and Control getting involved as I could envision a three strikes you're out approach and then dogs would end up in the wagon. There are enough people who are anti-animal who I am sure would happily support an approach like this. I believe Animal Care and Control have their hands full with animals who are dumped by uncaring people. When I see the police in this neighborhood first, focusing on the people who are dealing drugs, taking drugs and drinking in the park and on the beach and committing other crimes, then perhaps, focusing on dog owners but keeping the 'crime' in perspective (of a dog not having a license), I will move towards more acceptance. Now, I just see dogs and their owners as lightening rods and scapegoats for the wrath of the anti-animal people and the police. As for the comment about dog piss ruining grass, the person who wrote that comment should do some research on the effect of chemicals and fertilizers used on lawns and parkways and where it goes. Much more heinous and damaging than dog pee EVER will be.
1) No one here has said who was ticketing dog owners. Was it the cops or animal control.
2) Dogs are wonderful (woof) we pee organically.
3) And yes you are responsible for obtaining a license. You don't need or should have the alderman telling you to do it.
4) If you don't do it for yourself, do it for your dog.
5) Why are you sick of e-mails from the alderman, that's what you wanted.
"do some research on the effect of chemicals and fertilizers used on lawns and parkways and where it goes. Much more heinous and damaging than dog pee EVER will be. "
No that is not true whether pee is organic is a ridiculous statement, I don't know anyone who puts chemical on thieri parkway. But dozens of organic showers on a daily basis kills the grass. They have bags for the pooh isn't that just as organic? The only reason we pick up bags of the pooh is because it is visible.
Cops are writing tickets, not Animal Care and Control.
There is a very simple solution to the issue of licensing. It should be issued automatically at the veterinarian at the time the rabies vaccination is administered.
The vet can collect the fee and send it and the paperwork to the city. Owner gets their tag same day.
If the dog has any history of fighting or biting, this should be indicated on the tag as well, especially if the animal has been deemed dangerous with the city. This would help the city keep up with those dogs who have a track record of such behavior and owners who fail to comply with the dangerous dog ordinance.
Then we can save the police the time and trouble of inspecting every dog at our parks, regardless of whether the animal is being properly restrained or not.
The city has been threatening to crack down on licensing for years. I don't think a few cops in the park writing tickets is going to be effective. As Tank Girl pointed out, there are far more urgent issues they should be addressing.
First, in response to Dorothy's comments...some people do not want to know or do the research about chemicals and fertilizers that are used in lawns and in parkways (salt used on the sidewalks in winter melt and the chemicals in them flow into the dirt and grass). MANY MANY people use them...Monsanto makes grass seed with fertilizer and chemicals IN the seed. Many more dogs are getting cancers and others diseases that vets believe are linked to the chemicals in lawns. If you want to pretend this is not happening, go right ahead. But I cannot, and do not.
Secondly, I think Margot's suggestion about dogs getting their license through their vet is possibly the better solution (as opposed to the city), but I doubt vets or anyone working there would be so thrilled. I am no longer vaccinating my dog for rabies as there is so much evidence now that the rabies shots given once a year for a dog's entire life contribute to systemic illnesses (as do the other vaccinations that dog owners are strongly encouraged to get for their dogs). Don Hamilton was a vet then became a homeopath and he has written extensively on the subject. My dog suffers from enough chronic illness, and so I am taking my chances without a dog license.
I just believe that all this focus is so out of place (dog licensing, dog poop, dogs running off leash...), when other really important issues need to be addressed in a city like Chicago. Anyone who has a dog in this neighborhood KNOWS how most dog owners are...and for the most part, the dog owners are responsible. They take better care of the park and beach than the non-dog owners from what I have seen. (not criticizing people posting blogs about this topic, just speaking generally)
Why don't the police start ticketing people for the garbage they leave in the park or on the beach? Oh YEAH, they would have to catch someone doing it instead of tooling around in their cars and targeting dog owners. Or GET OUT of their cars and walk. A novel concept.
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