Toronto Auditor reports on city licensing

City's pet licensing system is a hairy mess

City's pet licensing system is a hairy mess. Coconut, left, and Marley play in the Sorauren Park dog park on a recent Saturday afternoon. File photo/NICK KOZAK

According to a report from the city's auditor general's office, Toronto is a very bad city when it comes to enforcing its bylaw requiring that dogs and cats carry licenses.

But auditor general Jeff Griffiths differs with KPMG, which recommended scrapping the controversial licensing fees, and is advising the city's audit committee to get more aggressive in making the city's pet owners compliant with the bylaw.

Currently, the city is collecting licensing fees for just 30 per cent of dogs and 10 per cent of cats owned by Torontonians. Toronto Animal Services estimate by the end of the year, that number will have risen to 11 per cent for cats and 33 per cent for dogs.

"These targets are extremely modest and if achieved will increase revenues by approximately $300,000," wrote Griffiths in the report heading to the Nov. 23 audit committee meeting. "This amount of revenue will likely cover inflationary cost increases only. In our view, a much more aggressive target projection should be established."

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