Bill would change rules for dog licenses, quarantines

A bill allowing pet owners to quarantine dogs at home rather than a county shelter is advancing at the state Legislature.

House Bill 2573, authored by Rep. Doug Coleman, R-Apache Junction, is pending approval from the full House after passing committees last week.

The bill would allow pet owners to quarantine dogs in their own homes if the pets harm another animal or person, instead of sending them to an animal shelter to be quarantined for 10 days.

"It saves the county money and the best place to have pets quarantined would be by the owner in their own home," Coleman said.

The bill would also lessen the penalty for non-compliance with dog licensing statutes from a Class 2 misdemeanor to a petty offense. While current law requires dog owners to pay a license fee and obtain dog tags with a license number and expiration date, the bill would require only a tag number, county telephone number and any other information required by a county board of supervisors.

It would also remove requirements that dog owners obtain a license within 15 days of written notice from county enforcement and that they provide proof of vaccination before obtaining dog licenses.

An amendment added on the floor prohibits counties from charging fees to cat owners retrieving impounded cats.

The bill would require that all dogs older than three months receive rabies vaccinations and makes knowingly failing to vaccinate a dog a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Counties, as well as humane societies and animal shelters in the Valley, support the bill, Coleman said.

Aaron Heninger, a volunteer with Arizona Beagle Rescue and at multiple Valley animal shelters, said the bill is a good idea because it would reduce the burden on county shelters and animal control officials. It also would protect quarantined dogs from exposure to illnesses.

"The dogs would be exposed to kennel cough and valley fever when they are quarantined in an environment with all the other dogs at the county shelter," he said.

Although Coleman is the bill's only sponsor, he said he believes support of the Arizona Humane Society and Valley shelters will help him push the bill forward.