Dog License Deadline January 31st

VAN BUREN, Maine (WAGM) -

January is almost over, and that means time is running out to register your dog. Newssource8′s Brian Bouchard has the story.

They say owning a pet is full of responsibilities and one of those responsibilities when owning a dog is ensuring that it is properly licensed with the state each January.

“Its important for several reasons, it is the law, the law in the state of Maine requires that you register your dog every year. January 31st it’s important, otherwise you will be assessed a penalty. It’s not the municipality that assesses the penalty, it’s the state of Maine.”

Luke Dyer, Town Manager for Van Buren says dog licenses help accomplish a few different things, like slowing the spread of rabies.

“The most important part of having the dogs registered is that we know that it’s been vaccinated. Its for the safety of the community. It helps narrow down the rabies population, obviously. A lot of people let their dogs roam in their own yards and animals were getting attacked by rabied raccoons or other animals, it’s dangerous not good for the public, so it is important to make that happen.”

When applying for a dog license in the state, Proof of Rabies Vaccination is required to be shown along with contact information for your Veterinarian, and whether or not the dog has been spayed or neutered. Dyer went on to say registering your dog can also help them find their way home if they were to become lost.

“It does assist in the animal control officer side in case your dog ends up becoming at large, it happens, sometimes they get excited, they run outside, they get away from home. If an animal control officer finds your dog it helps assist the animal control officer to return your dogs home safely.”

Maine law states that dog licenses cost 6 dollars for dogs that are spayed or neutered, and 11 dollars if they aren’t. However any dogs licensed after January 31st will incur an additional 25 dollar fee.

“Some of that money ends up helping offset animal control officer fees, it also helps care for injured animals if the animal control officer finds an injured dog that’s been struck by a vehicle or something like that, it helps offset the cost of taking the dog to a vet so it can get proper treatment.”

Dyer wants to remind folks that you do have until January 31st to ensure that your dog is properly licensed.

Brian Bouchard, NewsSource8

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