For a small fee, a Lawrence County pet owner can rest a little easier at night.

Monday, April 03, 2000

For a small fee, a Lawrence County pet owner can rest a little easier at night. Although the $8 fee deadline has passed for owners to renew their dog licenses, new residents and dog owners who received their companions within the last 30 days can still take advantage of the $8 price, while others must double the fee as part of a fine for late licensing, county dog warden Bill Click explained.

"For a new dog or for a person who moved into the area within the last 30 days, it is still $8 for them to buy a license for their pet," Click said. "But, if you already have a dog and did not get it licensed between Dec. 1, 1999 and Jan. 31, state law imposes a penalty that is equal to the amount of the license."

Lawrence County boasts one of the smallest license fees in the state, Click added.

"We did a survey of state licensing fees and, with all the counties with a similar geographic area and population, we are the lowest," he said. "We calculated the average fee and we are way below that average. The same license in Columbus costs $21 regularly."

The fee is a small price to pay for ensuring a pet will be returned home safely, Click added.

"Other than the fact that the license is required by Ohio state law, the biggest benefit, in my opinion, is that the license is your dog’s ticket home," he said. "If a person calls and tells us a stray dog is on their property and they are able to give us that license number, we’re going to be able to call the dog’s owner in a matter of minutes and the dog will never enter the dog shelter."

If the dog is picked up and brought to the county animal shelter, the license will still provide the information needed to contact the pet owner.

Each license has a unique number that is registered in a database. The database contains the owner’s address and telephone number at the time of licensing.

Pet owners who license their dogs in accordance with state law also become more responsible pet owners, Click said.

"When dogs are licensed, I seldom see an unwanted litter of puppies associated with that dog," he said. "The problems we have with unwanted litters of puppies and overpopulation in the pound are mainly from unlicensed dogs. If more were licensed, the traffic through the shelter would slow down."

And that could save the lives of other animals, as well, he said.

"State law says that after three days, we are to euthanize the animals we bring in," he said. "The Lawrence County commissioners give us a lot of latitude on just how long we can keep a dog here. We’ll keep them as long as we have room for them. If more dogs were licensed, we’d have room to keep more of them longer."

Dog tags also perform another important function, Click said.

"The money that comes from dog tag sales funds our operation here," he said. "That’s where the money comes from for us to buy gasoline to make the runs to pick up animals. It’s how we run our whole organization, so, by purchasing a tag, a person is contributing to the success of our animal control program."

For more information about purchasing a license for an animal, or for information on adopting a pet, contact the county animal shelter at 533-1736.