THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408120252
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Dr. Debra Thomas practices veterinary medicine. She wondered why she couldn't sell city cat and dog licenses to her clients for their pets. Her question: Was it really necessary for them to stand in line at the treasurer's offices?
The answer: No.
The city wanted veterinarians to offer the service.
Now Thomas does. She started issuing the tags in early July.
It was one of those ideas that sounds so obvious you wonder why someone hadn't thought of it before. The veterinarian thought it would be helpful to her clients, and it has been.
``The response has been good. The information and forms are available in our office,'' she said. ``It helps people comply with the law and simplifies the process.''
To say the treasurer's office has been in favor of the practice would be understatement. City treasurer John Atkinson has been trying for years to start such a program.
Genie Cobb, administrative assistant in the treasurer's office, said Atkinson calls the sale of pet licenses by veterinarians part of ``Operation Offload.''
``Mr. Atkinson is overjoyed with the idea,'' said Cobb. ``He has tried to interest the doctors in this, and he understands some of the problems and questions they've had. He did not want to create a paperwork overload for them, for example.''
Cobb compared the sale of pet licenses by vets to the military bases selling city automobile decals to their personnel. It saves time because those using the licenses, or decals, can purchase them at a location they use regularly.
Pet licenses, necessary for all dogs and cats over the age of 4 months, go on sale at the city treasurer's offices Nov. 1 and are good through Dec. 31 of the next year.
Thomas had concerns about the program. She wondered if the paperwork would be burdensome for her small staff. Her practice employs one person in the office and one assisting her with treatments. Those concerns haven't been a problem so far.
``I wanted to confine license sales to my own clients. We didn't think we could handle selling them to the public at large,'' said Thomas, who opened her practice off Shore Drive a little more than a year ago.
Selling the licenses to her own clients is simple enough. Not only does that obviate the paperwork that would accompany large-scale sales, but Thomas is also able to verify the medical history of her clients' pets.
``I had questions about verifying whether the animal had been spayed or neutered, for instance, she said. ``It takes more than simple visual check sometimes. If the owner told me the animal had been and it hadn't, who would be responsible for the error?
``With my own clients' pets, my records will tell me.''
Dr. Jim Kollar has practiced veterinary medicine in Virginia Beach for almost 20 years. The issue of veterinarians selling city licenses for pets has come up before, he said. He is not a supporter.
``They raised this about three or four years ago. I have two questions about it, the same ones I had before. First, how will it affect my gross revenue figures? That's the figure my business license cost is based upon. If I'm selling tags for the city will it increase the cost of my business license? Nobody has answered that.
``And, second, what about the added paperwork? I don't want to burden my staff,'' said Kollar.
Cobb said the treasurer's office understands the concern about increased paperwork, but she was perplexed by Kollar's concern regarding gross revenues.
``I don't see how that could be confusing at all,'' she said. ``The doctors fees and revenues are kept separately from the city's. Any money taken in for licenses belongs to the city, not the doctor, so his income figures shouldn't be affected.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by PETER D. SUNDBERG
Dr. Debra Thomas, a veterinarian, sells city licenses to only her
own clients, saving her on paperwork and helping her to verify the
medical history of the pets.
by CNB