State may give animal shelters a break on license fees

Missouri lawmakers have moved to reduce state licensing fees for animal shelters and commercial breeders as nerves remain raw following recent battles over the dog-breeding industry.Legislation approved last week by the Missouri House eventually would exempt animal shelters from the fees while reducing the maximum charges that commercial breeders pay for licenses from the state Department of Agriculture. Shelters lost an exemption from fees under a law approved in 2010, and the license charges for shelters, commercial breeders, kennels and others was increased last year from a maximum of $500 up to $2,500.

Operators also pay a $25 fee to cover state efforts to crack down on unlicensed facilities.Animal welfare groups groups contend not-for-profit animal shelters should not be required to pay the fees because their purpose is to help the community and not to earn money. One organization likened the charges to levying a hotel tax on homeless shelters. But opponents of exempting shelters from the fees argue that all facilities should pay their fair share toward Missouri's animal regulation efforts.

“The humane societies and shelters are not profiting from caring for these animals. They're doing this as an act of love for the animals and as a service for their community,” said Bob Baker, executive director of the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation.Major Group Says Government Diluted Fiberglass Cancer Results. He added: “It would be like them saying you go in and inspect homeless shelters to make sure that they're providing proper care for the people and that they don't violate fire codes, but you don't go and tax them for those inspections.”