Me and Maricopa County Animal Control are not getting along (neighborhood, deed)

[LBTRS]

Some of you may remember my recent post of dealing with getting information on a dog attack in my neighborhood that I'm still waiting on Maricopa County Animal Control? Well here is my latest dealing with them...

We are about to take ownership of a dog from a relative and I sent in an application for a dog license with my fee of $17. Yesterday I received a response from Maricopa County Animal Control that I am being assessed several years of "penalties" for not having the dog licensed.

I called them and after sitting on hold for 30 minutes, was told that they used a date on a previous rabies certificate from the current owner to determine the animal was not licensed from that point until now when I'm applying for a license. I told their representative that the dog did not belong to me and I wasn't paying a penalty for the previous owners failure to register their dog and wanted to do the right thing and license the dog now that I am the owner. She said that was not possible and I would have to pay the penalty. I then told her to just remove my application and I would give the dog back and tell them I could not take it because the dog could not be licensed and she said that was also not possible. When I asked what would happen if I just ignored it she said "you'll continue to assess penalties".

I demanded to know what my recourse was and to speak to a supervisor and all she told me is you can write a letter and appeal it which I guess I now have to take the time to do.

I'm now wishing I would not have done the right thing and attempted to license the dog and just let it go without the license as it has for the last six years the previous owners had it.

I'm not impressed with these huge bureaucracies.

[ReadyFreddy]

I had the same problem with them, almost. I've been religious about registering both my dogs. Last summer I got the rabies shot one of them needed ON TIME, but I paid my registration online like usual, without realizing they needed a proof of the rabies shot this time. They waited 3 months to send me a letter with penalties added. I mailed them the rabies cert. dated IN JUNE, 3 months prior. They still send me notices of penalties and late fees. So I feel the same as you, "Fine then, I'll stop registering them." I like to support the shelter and the dog parks but come on! Why needle the people who are trying to do the right thing?

[observer53]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

Some of you may remember my recent post of dealing with getting information on a dog attack in my neighborhood that I'm still waiting on Maricopa County Animal Control? Well here is my latest dealing with them...

We are about to take ownership of a dog from a relative and I sent in an application for a dog license with my fee of $17. Yesterday I received a response from Maricopa County Animal Control that I am being assessed several years of "penalties" for not having the dog licensed.

I called them and after sitting on hold for 30 minutes, was told that they used a date on a previous rabies certificate from the current owner to determine the animal was not licensed from that point until now when I'm applying for a license. I told their representative that the dog did not belong to me and I wasn't paying a penalty for the previous owners failure to register their dog and wanted to do the right thing and license the dog now that I am the owner. She said that was not possible and I would have to pay the penalty. I then told her to just remove my application and I would give the dog back and tell them I could not take it because the dog could not be licensed and she said that was also not possible. When I asked what would happen if I just ignored it she said "you'll continue to assess penalties".

I demanded to know what my recourse was and to speak to a supervisor and all she told me is you can write a letter and appeal it which I guess I now have to take the time to do.

I'm now wishing I would not have done the right thing and attempted to license the dog and just let it go without the license as it has for the last six years the previous owners had it.

I'm not impressed with these huge bureaucracies.

Call the county supervisor that represents your district.

This does not make good sense -- you would have to pay even if you gave the dog back? Don't think so (and, I don't think you should pay the penalty for the unlicensed years, either.) Of course, the way to have avoided all that would have been to take the dog to a new vet and have no connection to the prior records. Hindsight is wonderful, isn't it? (I would not have known you'd have to pay for a prior owner's inaction, either.)

[roundball]

Originally Posted by observer53

Call the county supervisor that represents your district.

That's what i was going to suggest.

[cab591]

I wonder what would happen if you had a dog in Arizona, moved out of state (to a state that didn't require registration) for a few years, then moved back to Arizona? Would you have to pay penalties for the years the dog wasn't registered, even though the dog was not in the state? There's gotta be a loophole in there somewhere...

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by cab591

I wonder what would happen if you had a dog in Arizona, moved out of state (to a state that didn't require registration) for a few years, then moved back to Arizona? Would you have to pay penalties for the years the dog wasn't registered, even though the dog was not in the state? There's gotta be a loophole in there somewhere...

The problem is that the people in the call center that answer your calls don't have any authority to do anything. She said the licensing is in a different section and the only option I had was to write them and appeal. I'm holding out hope that someone that gets my letter will have some sense and this will work out.

[ReadyFreddy]

Keep me posted. I should solve mine instead of deciding not to license because they pissed me off. I tried to call and couldn't get a person and gave up. But they really, really need the money. Maybe I should just pay the penalties and consider it (in my mind) a donation. I think I'll do that.

[nightnurse613]

Another interesting sidelight is, periodically an animal wanders to our front door (my husband needs to fix those AC leaks!!). One time, we gave a dog a little food and water in hopes that it would continue on its journey but, it was still there the following week (it would take off for a while and then work its way back). When we finally called MAC they said "three-day rule". If you've had it 3 days its your responsibility. I don't know if they still have this rule so, be careful!

[jimj]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

The problem is that the people in the call center that answer your calls don't have any authority to do anything. She said the licensing is in a different section and the only option I had was to write them and appeal. I'm holding out hope that someone that gets my letter will have some sense and this will work out.

You do realize that if they use the same call center as MVD (which would make sense) that it's actually prisoners answering the phone and you're right, they can't do anything.

I guess this issue just goes to show "no good deed goes unpunished"!

[shadow91]

same here, paid the fee, faxed the certificates on 3 dogs, kept getting letters stating past due, no rabies certificate, it is almost impossible to talk to someone on the phone, biggest joke of an agency that I have ever seen.