As a little experiment in transparency, MuckRock set out to file for pet licensing data for the most populous city in each state. After waiting a month for Wichita, Kansas and 11 days for Minneapolis, Minnesota I expected to find purr-fectly aligned rows and columns filled with dog names - instead, the cat overlords struck again, and I was met with a combined fee of over $100. You cat to be kitten me.

We followed the money, and I was not feline it.

Wichita says it will take them three hours to get the dog data ready, presumably because it is very hard to type without opposable thumbs.

Minneapolis was more reasonable with the amount of time it would take, asking only $15 for 30 minutes of work, but insisting on printing and mailing over 400 pages for $42. As if Mother Earth was simply their litterbox to destroy.

We currently have thirteen dog data requests completed, free of charge. Something smells fishy.

Image via Cash Cats