Did I just get stung by the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society?
Note: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated what the revenue from pet licensing fees is used for. The wrong information has been removed and replaced with the correct information.
A few weeks ago something strange happened at the Applesauce household — my doorbell rang.
You see, my doorbell never rings. I think it’s been rung less than six times during the 18 months I have lived at my current residence. What’s even more strange is that the person at the door, a nice woman wearing an official-looking polo shirt with a badge logo embroidered on it, wasn’t at my door to talk to me or my wife, she was there to talk about my cats (both of which are pictured above).
The woman at my door was an animal control officer from the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society. She spotted my cats in a window and wanted to know if they were licensed in the city of Wenatchee. I had no idea I needed to license my furry feline friends. She then explained to me that Wenatchee city code requires all dogs and cats be licensed.
After talking to the animal control officer I presented her with proof that my cats had their shots and that they were microchipped and altered and paid a pet licensing fee.
I called up Sgt. Jody White, director of field operations for WVHS, last week and asked whether I was targeted in some sort of sting operation or if it is standard procedure for animal control officers to knock on doors and inquire about licensed pets. White assuered me I was not targeted and that what happened was likely a part of that animal control officer’s daily routine.
White said animal control officers canvas areas checking homes with pet licenses. When that officer saw cats sleeping in my window she likely checked my address on her canvasing list of the area to see whether my pets were licensed.
“The cost for pet licensing is set by each jurisdiction,” White said. “It’s a way for us to keep track of pets and reunite them with their owners if they leave their homes.”
Along with helping identify and reunite pets with their owners, the revenue from licensing fees helps offset the cost of animal control costs and benefits the jurisdictions served by WVHS.
“It is a small amount of revenue, but it does help with some animal control costs,” White said.
Wenatchee Valley Humane Society pet licensing fees:
• Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Chelan and unincorporated Chelan County: $30 for an unaltered dog/$10 if altered, $15 unaltered cat/$5 if altered — a 50 percent discount for seniors or those who are disabled
• Unincorporated Douglas County: $20 unaltered dog or cat/$10 altered — a 50 percent discount if the animal has a microchip
8 Comments
Well, Travis! We support the Humane Society and assist ath their summer fund raiser. We love cats…and dogs. Somehow, I get this creepy feeling that the ‘nice woman’ went a little too far in the “execution of her duty”, as they say on TV.
Hmmm. This makes me uncomfortable.
Do they have nothing better to do than canvas for unlicensed pets.
What’s next, Wenatchee PD, excuse me sir we were driving by and saw the car in your driveway,do you have a license to drive it?
I would hope that part of her daily routine would be to canvas tha Riverfront Park. Lots of unleashed dogs there,some even have owners with them.
VV
Wow Travis.. sure am glad your furry critters were not caught by the humane society!! Thats a huge cost to “reunite” pick them up from the pound. I understand that it covers their cost but I feel it’s a bit expensive. I believe she could have been trespassing on to your property. They were in your home not wandering or causing any damage. A neighbor didn’t call to report anything. I think the Humane Society needs to go down by Fred Meyer where that small grassy park is and catch all those cats who are reproducing like crazy. They are not licensed!!
i have been bombarded by the humane society and i live in chelan. Yes they do go out looking for anything they can site people on. as far as Officer White, that woman will lie threw her teeth to get you to think she is supporting that what they do is correct. wheather it is or not. i would agree with the trespassing point. there are a few officers that will go out of there way to make there qouta for the day or month. And trust me, once they start harrassing you for what ever reason… they wont stop…
fairwarning from someone that dealt with them for over a year. i have several complaints to the city and commissioners about them. in the run of doing that i found out several things they do, that they arent legally sopose to do..
terri
I have also been harassed by the humane society. I was charged more for being “reunited” with my pets then if I would have just adopted 2 new ones. How is that justice? I have had officers walking on my property to look over my fence to see what animals are living in my backyard. Is that not trespassing on private property? I am not even sure they are not the ones that let my animals out of the gate just so they could pick them up and “reunite” them with me. The humane society then had the audacity to say I was a irresponsible pet owner. My pets are spayed, neutered and current on all shots.
My family has also been harrased by them we got are two dogs at the end of December. We have now spent about one thousnd dollars since then, most of that going to the Humane Society. Aparantly my dogs can escape from there kennel, make it passed the hidden fence and climb a six foot fence. I too wander if someone is letting them out. i have also seen a mysterious person in the neighborhood with a sound coming from there jeep that makes all the dog in the neighborhood bark, howl and go crazy.
It’s another way to make money!
The people that work at the “humane” society that aren’t volenteering make a wage, and for Wenatchee it’s pretty decent. With large amount of food and other donations, Petco constantly collecting donation, and oh yeah! 150 dollar “special” adoption fees….. they don’t need the cash.
They are simply not willing to consider every life they euthanize as just impotant and individual as a person, THEY ARE NOT HUMANE!
May I ask? Have you ever seen the white board in the Humane Society where they write the number of animals adopted during discounted adoption days??? The numbers are almost always above 50 …..IN ONE DAY! Think 50+ animals with homes. So I ask with the cost of euthanasia (even if bought in bulk) why cant they drop the prices on the animals before they kill them? Why must it cost 150 dollars or the animal dies…thats a little messed up for such a beautiful town.
What Wenatchee needs is everybody to get together and support the right thing A NO KILL SHELTER where the people employed there are willing to make minimum wage for something other than flipping hambugers. Ane guess what….. PEOPLE WOULD VOLENTEER, I know at least 30 people that live local that would volenteer if there day there didnt consist of becoming attached to animals that might be killed.
***** COME ON WENATCHEE we have to be more humane than this!…Right? *****