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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1974
DOG LICENCE FEES REVISED
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THE FEES FOR DOG LICENCES WILL BE REVISED AS FROM OCTOBER 1 THIS YEAR.
FOR DOGS ON HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON, NEW KOWLOON AND ON A LOCAL VESSEL THE LICENCE FEE WILL BE $15 AS AGAINST THE PRESENT $10, WHILE THAT FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES WILL BE INCREASED FROM $2 TO $5.
COMMENTING ON THE INCREASE, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT NOTED THAT THE EXISTING FEES HAD REMAINED UNCHANGED FOR 24 YEARS AND CONTAINED AN ELEMENT OF SUBSIDY. THE REVISIÓN, HE ADDED, WAS NECESSARY TO REFLECT MORE REALISTICALLY GOVERNMENT COSTS OF LICENSING AND ENFORCING THE LAWS RELATING TO DOGS.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE NUMBER OF DOGS VACCINATED AGAINST RABIES HAD GONE UP CONSIDERABLY AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DOG CATCHING TEAMS. A TOTAL OF 15,941 STRAY DOGS WERE ROUNDED UP DURING THE 1973/74 FINANCIAL YEAR, COMPARED WITH 12,458 IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, AND FURTHER 3,268 STRAY DOGS WERE CAUGHT BETWEEN APRIL AND JUNE THIS YEAR.
+THIS OF COURSE HAS REDUCED THE NUMBERS OF UNVACCINATED STRAY DOGS IN THE STREETS WHICH COULD PROVIDE A DANGEROUS RESERVOIR OF DOGS SUSCEPTIBLE TO RABIES,+ HE SAID.
UNDER EXISTING LEGISLATION, DOG OWNERS MUST HAVE THEIR DOGS INOCULATED AGAINST RABIES EVERY THREE YEARS. VACCINATION IS AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE, BUT THE COST OF THE VACCINE IS PAID OUT OF PUBLIC FUNDS.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID IT WAS FELT THAT THE TAX PAYER SHOULD NO LONGER BE BURDENED WITH THE SUBSIDY THAT WAS FORMALLY PART OF THE LICENSING COSTS, AND IT WAS ONLY REASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT DOG OWNERS SHOULD BEAR SOME OF THE EXTRA FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR DOG LICENSING.
AS TO DOG LICENCE FEES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THESE WERE BEING ALLOWED TO REMAIN AT A LOWER LEVEL THAN THOSE IN THE URBAN AREAS SO AS TO AVOID DISCOURAGING DOG OWNERS IN RURAL AREAS FROM LICENSING THEIR DOGS AS IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO CATCH STRAY DOGS IN LARGE OPEN SPACES.
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