#Middlebury #PawsCorner
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I disagree with what you wrote about buying a license and tags for cats that stay indoors. Requiring a license for indoor cats is such a government scam. It’s just another dirty local tax to burden the people with – like the little fees on our phone bills! I love my country, but these hidden taxes aren’t right. – Tim in Lancaster, Ohio
DEAR TIM: I know how frustrating it can be to pay additional fees for many things, especially when prices are rising for products like gasoline. But I also stand by my original article. Even indoor cats need routine vaccinations and, if mandated, license tags.
Even the best pet owner in the world can be impacted by unforeseen events. Say a natural disaster hits, like a tornado or a mudslide – something with little or no warning. In the chaos, pets can and will escape to a safer place.
For example, during a recent house fire in my community, firefighters rushed in to save the homeowner, who was trapped with her dog in a back bedroom. They were able to get her to safety, unhurt. However, she lost her hold on the dog, who ran into the woods, terrified. It took a few days of searching before the dog was found and matched back to its owner thanks to its license tags and microchip.
Vaccinating and licensing indoor pets is a comparatively low-cost way to improve pets’ chances of staying healthy and being quickly reunited with their owners should they escape. While it’s good for citizens to be aware of and question different taxes and fees, this is one fee that is worth the price.
Send your questions, comments or tips to ask@pawscorner.com.
(c) 2018 King Features Synd. Inc.
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