May 05, 2021 - Harrisburg, PA
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding joined Dauphin County Treasurer Janis Creason and Executive Director Humane Society of Harrisburg Area and Federated Humane Societies of Pennsylvania President Amy Kaunas to detail a crisis impacting dogs in Pennsylvania kennels, the families who adopt them, and the strain placed on local government finances by underfunded dog license fees creating the crisis."Pennsylvanians love our dogs," said Redding. "And Pennsylvania's dog law sets some of the highest standards in the nation to protect them. But laws are worthless without adequate funding and personnel to enforce them."We have a funding problem with an easy solution. And it would cost Pennsylvania dog owners about the same as a cup of coffee. That's one cup of coffee a year to protect the dogs we all love."As a direct result of the legislature's failure to act on a dog license fee increase, the bureau is unable to fill mission-critical dog warden vacancies and keep up with even minimum inspection requirements. Responses to dangerous dog incidents and dogs running loose are slowed and often fall to local law enforcement, stressing their personnel and finances.
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