Funding boost for Pa. office that investigates animal issues has stalled

Funding boost for Pa. office that investigates animal issues has stalled

By Megan Frank
July 14, 2021

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement is running out of money. 

The office provides kennel inspections, shelter services and investigates dog attacks. State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding says that work will be tougher to do, since lawmakers didn’t increase dog license fees during state budget talks.

To help fund the dog bureau, his department called for an increase to the state dog licensing fee to $10 a year, up from the current $6.50. 

“The fee increase that we requested has not been increased in 25 years,” Redding says. “We think the number is the right number. It provides sufficient revenue to fill the vacancies.”

Without the fee increase, Redding says there are jobs that won’t be filled and tasks that will take longer to do.

“We’ve got 14 vacancies there,” Redding says. “So, there’s not going to be additional dog wardens on staff as a result of this budget. It doesn’t allow us to expand to do more inspections and more canvassing.”

For now, Redding says the office will do what it can with the funds it has. His department plans to petition for a dog license fee increase again this fall. 

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