Commission takes shot at pet licenses

In 1969, Longboat Key was under attack. The attackers weren’t developers or tourists.

“The rabid raccoons were reportedly chasing cars, clawing at windows, entering homes and attacking dogs,” according to a report prepared by Code Enforcement Officer Chris Elbon.

At the time, rabies was a menacing threat on the Key because there were no state regulations in place requiring vaccinations. But, like bellbottoms and disco balls, those days are a thing of the past.

Yet, town regulations adopted by the Longboat Key Town Commission at the time requiring pet owners to obtain $3 licenses for their animals by showing the town proof of rabies vaccination remain in place. It’s a requirement that few pet owners know about or follow.

The commission reached consensus at its Feb. 17 workshop to direct staff to eliminate town licenses. Sarasota and Manatee counties already have licenses that require owners to vaccinate their pets. 

 “I think the town acted in a responsible manner back then to deal with a rabies outbreak that existed in the town,” said Town Manager Dave Bullock.

Rabid raccoons first attacked on Jan. 22, 1969, when a raccoon made its way into a woman’s St. Judes Drive home and bit her. Police shot two more rabid raccoons in the following weeks. Over two-and-a-half months in 1969, there were 26 confirmed rabid raccoons on the Key.

Today, state statutes require every dog, cat and ferret over 4 months old receive the vaccine annually, unless a veterinarian determines it would endanger the animal’s health. 

The town issued  175 pet licenses from 2011 to 2014, which, at $3 each, fetched $525 in revenue. $195.77 after expenses.