Left out of state budget, Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement will 'maintain minimum services' with Ag

Left out of state budget, Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement will ‘maintain minimum services’ with Ag funds


The state Department of Agriculture will kick in $1.5 million from its own budget after state lawmakers failed to approve supplemental funding for dog law enforcement across Pennsylvania.

Officials confirmed the transfer out of the agency’s $34.9 million general government operations fund on Tuesday. The $1.5 million is the same amount the Wolf administration sought in the form of a supplemental transfer in the $40.8 billion spending plan that the Legislature approved last week.

The bureau had been the recipient of a $1.2 million supplemental transfer a year prior.

The funds will cover the difference between the revenue the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement generates from dog licensing fees and its expenses. The fee for dog licenses in Pennsylvania has not changed in more than two decades, creating gaps in funding for the bureau as operating costs continue to rise.

“These funds will be used to continue maintaining minimum mandated services until the legislature acts to increase the dog license fee,” Agriculture Department spokesperson Shannon Powers told the Capital-Star.

Read more: https://www.penncapital-star.com/blog/left-out-of-state-budget-bureau-of-dog-law-enforcement-will-maintain-minimum-services-with-ag-funds/