FALCONER – The town of Ellicott recently approved a resolution to utilize the Docupet application that is expected to streamline dog licensing across the county.

The effort is being pushed by the Chautauqua County Humane Society, which has offered to cover setup and the first year of costs. Despite covered costs and the motion ultimately passing, town board members expressed certain concerns over the implementation of Docupet.

Docupet is an application that the Humane Society is pushing due to the greater efficiency that it will provide for licensing and pickup. Residents will have the ability to register a dog online, rather than having to visit the town hall during operating hours. This will allow for dogs that are found and brought to the Humane Society to be quickly identified through the online database. Not only that, but residents will no longer have to wait throughout a weekend to pick up a dog. This is because residents will be able to quickly register the dog and bring it home without having to wait until town offices open.

Amy Bellardo, Ellicott town clerk, expressed concerns about the program. Bellardo said the town will have to initially cover the costs to implement this service, before later receiving a reimbursement. This raised concerns as to how and when the reimbursement will be distributed, said Bellardo. Bellardo also noted that the Humane Society has stated that if the town does not adopt the use of this application, then the town can no longer take advantage of the shelter. This means that it is not a possibility for the town to consider rejecting this service, as this would require town officials to construct a shelter. With a host of strict requirements for shelters, the town does not currently have any buildings that could easily be converted for this purpose, stated Bellardo. Bellardo also expressed concerns about the platform performing unwanted advertising on residents, as Docupet also sells pet items through the application.

There was also the discussion about the concerns of future costs that will be associated with the platform. The $5,000 that is being covered by the Humane Society will only pay for implementation and the first year of costs, according to Bellardo. While this total cost is county-wide, the town was concerned over the future costs that will be passed down to smaller municipalities such as the town. Bellardo also expressed worries that certain municipalities will not be incentivized to adopt this platform, as they do not use the Humane Society shelter. Bellardo noted that the city of Jamestown is a location that does not utilize the Humane Society, instead bringing dogs to Pick of the Litter. If Jamestown were to choose not to use Docupet as a result of this, then many dogs would not be on the same system, reducing the benefits of adopting the program for all.

The town passed a motion to utilize these services for the one year that is covered. Other towns that have chosen to use Docupet include North Harmony, Chautauqua, Charlotte, and Westfield. Town officials hope to see this application utilized throughout the county, so it will operate as intended.