Dog license requirements are not man's best friend

To go along with my recent post regarding the inhumane treatment animals receive from the state: The Toledo Blade kindly reminds us that the deadline for purchasing a county issued license for your dog is here. The warning is that if we don't pay up now, the fee doubles in size and an extra fine will be imposed. I love thinking how we supposedly live in a free country, but we can't even own a dog without handing over this extortion fee each year.

At least I don't live in Lucas county where this fee is required. But wait, I live in Wood county, the next one over, which still has a $14 fee. Not quite as bad as Lucas county, but still something I would really rather not be forced to pay. The Wood County Humane Society offers up many compelling reasons we should do this:

1. If my dog gets lost, it's the fastest way to get him back to us. I'm not sure why a regular tag with our phone number on it wouldn't be just as fast. Or are they seriously trying to tell me that a state approved tag would be faster than a normal tag? Somehow I think not.

2. The license fee keeps my city's shelter going. They don't explain why every dog owner should be forced to pay for this. And if it's anything like the shelter I previously wrote about, the one that abuses animals down near columbus, I'd definitely rather not pay for that. So much for that compelling reason.

3. Your dog license shows you are a responsible owner. How exactly does paying $14 or $25 for a tag that would normally cost $1 show that you are responsible owner? To me, being a responsible dog owner means picking up his poop when you go on a walk. Getting a one dollar tag with contact info on it would be just as responsible. If anything, for anyone willing to do this it shows they are irresponsible with managing money. Especially if their money is going to a shelter that abuses animals.

4. It's the law. It may be the law, but does that mean it's a good, responsible law? No, it doesn't. There can be arguments made for disobeying unjust laws. It's called protest. Obeying something just because it's the law is no reason at all. Our laws are getting increasingly more repressive, and this is just one more example. Now, I will admit that abolishing dog laws may not be on the top of an anarchist to-do list. But all these little things do add up, and that doesn't mean it shouldn't be addressed at some point. Many laws are nothing but a club that the government uses to bash us over the head with. These are the laws that people should disobey en masse.

In my opinion, none of the reasons they list for handing over yet more of your hard earned money to the state are compelling. The humane society says there are many compelling reasons to do this, yet there are only four given on their site. Upon closer examination, I see no good reason to purchase a dog license from my county government.