Community Board 7 and the ASPCA

Here's an interesting article from the "Times Ledger". I'm curious what motivated their sudden concern:

"CB 7 hears report on lack of dog, cat licences in city
By Scott Sieber
11/16/2006

In New York City, the dogs - and cats - are running wild.

Statistics released by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at the Community Board 7 meeting Monday night revealed that of the 1 million dogs and 2 million cats in the city, only 8 percent are licensed, a requirement pet owners often overlook.

Representatives from the animal advocacy group came before the board to seek support for an animal control program that would require pet owners to license their animals, and to open full service shelters in each borough. The program was introduced by Community Board 2 in Manhattan.

Although all five boroughs are currently required to operate full service shelters, Queens and the Bronx only have receiving centers, which is due to insufficient funding, and lack critical services for strays, said Lisa Weisberg, senior vice president of government affairs at the ASPCA.

"The city has always viewed this requirement as more like pest control," she said. "We're proposing that if the city enforces the dog license law, they could raise more than double the $8 million."

CB 7 tabled the matter until more detailed plans could be brought foreward. [...]"