Pet Owners Go to Traffic School

by Stephanie Feldstein · 2009-11-27 06:00:00 UTC
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Some cities give you the option of reducing your speeding ticket by going to traffic school; now San Diego has a program where people can get animal-related fines reduced by attending a class to learn the rules of the road of responsible pet ownership.

The Responsible Pet Ownership program applies to "minor" violations, such as leash laws and dogs locked in cars. Criminal record blemishes and fines don't do much for the animals involved, but education has the potential to change their lives. In my experience, most of these types of mistakes are due to ignorance or carelessness. The new program involves a three-hour class covering the basics of animal care, laws, and responsibility. The people who didn't know better will learn and those who weren't paying attention might start to care a bit more. As for those who were just taking a few extra liberties and letting their dogs run free, maybe the class will give them a sense of how others treat their animals and inspire them to set a better example.

It's such a simple, yet ingenious concept. On the surface, there's no impact on the city budget, since the class fee will cover the costs of the program. But in practice, it has the potential to save lots of money in animal control and law enforcement expenses that won't be necessary with the new, improved pet owners in town. It's good for the city, good for the owners, and good for the animals. Hopefully other places will follow San Diego's lead.

Photo credit: glen edelson

Stephanie Feldstein is a Change.org Editor who has been part of the animal welfare and rescue community for over a decade, and most recently worked for an environmental organization.
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