Juneau hikes fees for impounded pets

An animal control vehicle outside Gastineau Humane Society in Juneau on Nov. 19, 2016. The city contracts the humane society for animal control services. (Photo by Jeremy Hsieh/KTOO)
An animal control vehicle outside Gastineau Humane Society in Juneau on Nov. 19, 2016. The city contracts the humane society for animal control services. (Photo by Jeremy Hsieh/KTOO)

Pet owners take note: the fees for dogs and cats impounded by animal control officers have gone up.

The Juneau Assembly approved a new rate schedule Monday – effective immediately – that hikes the impound fee by $20. It’s now $50 for the first offense. That fee increases to $75 and $100 for second and third offenses.

Those fees don’t include the boarding fee charged per day. The old rate was $10 for the first day. The new rate is between $30 and $50 depending on whether the animal has been fixed or is even in heat.

Deputy Mayor Jerry Nankervis took issue with the policy of charging less for neutered and spayed dogs.

“Neutering or spaying your dog has nothing to do with responsible pet ownership,” Nankervis argued. “That’s your decision to make. How you handle that dog and how you keep that dog is what shows whether you’re responsible or not.”

But the head of the local humane society argued that unaltered animals are more work for her shelter to board.

“They can create more of a mess in the kennel, whether that’s a male or a female,” said Samantha Blankenship, executive director of Gastineau Humane Society. “Cats will spray everywhere, female dogs can also make mess while they’re in season, but typically they also are harder to handle.”

Two other Assembly members,  Mayor Ken Koelsch and Assemblywoman Mary Becker, sided with Nankervis.

The multi-tiered rate schedule was passed and goes into effect immediately. These fees were last raised in 2001.

Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska

Jacob Resneck is CoastAlaska's regional news director based in Juneau. CoastAlaska is our partner in Southeast Alaska. KTOO collaborates with partners across the state to cover important news and to share stories with our audiences.

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