Police propose online pet‑licensing system and higher fees; council raises access and enforcement questions

City police and animal control officials reviewed proposed changes to the pet‑licensing program and a planned contract with DocuPet to run an online licensing system.

Rob Duncan, chief of police, said the proposal moves pet licensing from the street‑department process to the police department and would include an online vendor, DocuPet. "There's an ordinance change, most of it's wording just to go from the street department to the police department," he said.

Sergeant Jeff Tyler, who oversees animal control, told council the current licensing system is "outdated" and underused; licenses now must be purchased in person at city offices or at Cedar Bend Humane Society. Tyler said DocuPet would allow online purchases and automated renewal notices and could increase compliance. "They average 20 to 30% a year in license people who will be purchasing more licenses every year," Tyler said, citing vendor performance in other jurisdictions.

Tyler outlined proposed fee changes and operational details: increasing license fees (current local fees cited at $5 and $10), proposing $15 for altered animals and $25 for unaltered animals under the new system, combining the dog‑park pass into the license fee, and switching from a calendar year to a 365‑day rolling license. He said the DocuPet start‑up fee is $5,000 for calendar-year licensing and $4,000 if the city adopts 365‑day rolling licenses; vendor transaction fees would be covered by a $2 convenience fee.

Tyler and the vendor representative, Michael Lambert of DocuPet, said the system offers multiple access routes for residents who cannot or will not use online services: mail‑in applications, over‑the‑phone orders, and in‑person point‑of‑sale at city counters. Lambert said DocuPet would handle renewal mailings and tag fulfillment and would provide marketing support; he said the vendor currently serves more than 250 communities and has about 2.5 million registered animals in its network.

Council members raised several concerns. Several asked how enforcement would work and whether animal control officers would cite noncompliant owners; Tyler said initial rollout would emphasize education and a grace period, with citations used as a backstop. When asked about access for older residents, Tyler described outreach plans and said police records staff can assist residents at the front counter or officers can help in the field when practical. Lambert confirmed DocuPet can run targeted mailings using the city's last 3–5 years of license records as part of its marketing and compliance push.

Councilmembers also asked about dog‑park revenue: Tyler said last year dog‑park revenue totaled $3,493 and projected initial revenues under the new fee schedule would be lower during rollout, though he expects license numbers and revenue to grow over time. Tyler said the parks department had indicated it could accept $1 per license for park maintenance under the new model.

No ordinance or contract was approved at the meeting. Staff said they would provide citation amounts, clarify vendor contract terms (including contract length, auto‑renewal and a 90‑day opt‑out), confirm vendor startup and transaction fees, and follow up with local veterinarians about sharing rabies‑vaccination records to streamline licensing verification.