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By Margo Rutledge Kissell, Staff Writer 10:00 PM Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Dog owners in Montgomery and some other local counties will pay more for licenses next year.

Melinda Billings of Miami Twp. grumbled when she learned Wednesday, Aug. 26, that it will cost her $4 more next year to license her 6-pound Chihuahua, Rocky. License fees are increasing from $16 to $20.

“I’m just amazed that in a recession, prices are going up instead of down,” she said. “You have to pay it. What are you going to do?”

Montgomery County commissioners approved the increase — the first in four years — on Tuesday.

“We are faced with very serious budget challenges as we approach the new year,” Montgomery County Animal Resource Center Director Mark Kumpf said.

The center has seen 19 percent more dogs brought in this year compared to 2008. Kumpf believes a factor has been the recession prompting more owners to part with their pets because they can’t afford them or can’t keep them as they downsize to apartments or move in with relatives.

In Greene County, dog licenses will go up $3, rising from $12 to $15 next year. Harold Brown, the director of animal control, said it’s the first increase in 10 years but something he’s been seeking for five years.

“Everybody knows the cost of doing business and the cost of living has gone up and up,” he said. “We’re really just trying to keep our head above water and continue to do the maximum service for the citizens.”

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