Tom LaBonge's Dog Gets Licensed After City Canine Crackdown

Councilman Tom LaBonge.

Councilman Tom LaBonge registered his own dog this week after voicing an objection to a successful City Council motion to have animal services workers go after unregistered canines in the city. LaBonge said the move to find unlicensed dogs by scanning city meter readers' records of the canines they come across could violate residents' civil liberties.

After the motion that will have the Department of Animal Services coordinate the license crackdown with the Department of Water and Power's "doggie database" passed unanimously, however, LaBonge had his own pet officially licensed Wednesday. LaBonge confirmed the registration to KNX 1070 Newsradio.

The move by the city to get more dogs licensed could be a money maker at a time when L.A. is facing a $212 million deficit. Councilman Eric Garcetti said the extra licenses, which cost $15 for fixed dogs and $100 and more for un-fixed pooches, could fetch an additional $3.6 million for the city.