NM pet fees handled by Texas company

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - About 75,000 pets are registered with Albuquerque each year, but New Mexicans may be surprised where that money is going.

Pets are like family and keeping them healthy is just as important as keeping them legal, or in other words registering them with the city every year.

If residents do not register their pets, they could be ticketed by the city and end up in court.
    
Other than seniors, disabled and low income citizens, everyone must pay $6 to license a dog or a cat.
    
But you may be surprised to know...

“PetData gets $3.75 in it's new contract for every license it handles,” Jim Ludwick with Animal Welfare said.    

PetData, an Irving Texas, company, is in charge of handling all the animal licenses for the city.

“Specialize in this type of license handling…they are a major provider of service for cities around this United States,” Ludwick said.
    
They have held the contract with the city for licensing since 2010.
    
In the past three years, the city paid PetData more than $600,000 for the service.
    
Under a newly awarded contract the Texas company could make almost $300,000 over the next two years.
    
Ludwick says pet data was the only company to apply for the contract this go round.

“If PetData were to tie with another proposal that was local the local proposal would win,” Ludwick said.
    
Ludwick says the city would love to use a local company. but the rules mean they have to go with the best proposal.

Why can't Albuquerque just do the work in-house and keep all the money?
    
Animal Welfare used to handle the licensing, but several years ago the city decided it was more efficient to contract it out.