The Delaware County Council is reminding all dog owners to join them in protecting their pets with a current or lifetime license, which is required by law and one of the best ways to ensure your pup is safe.
"A current dog license is the best way to ensure a dog’s safe return if he gets lost, and it automatically lists the dog in the County's 'Return a Lost Dog' database. Plus, it is the law in Pennsylvania," Councilman Kevin Madden said in a statement.
And Madden should know as he's got two pups of his own: Marlowe, a golden retriever, and Winston, rescued cattle dog mix.
Several other members of Council are also dog owners, including Chairman John McBlain who has a golden retriever named Provo, Vice Chair Colleen Morrone who has a beagle name Nala, and Councilman Michael Culp has a rescue mix named Stella.
County officials said 2018 dog licenses are now available at the Treasurer's office at the County Government Center in Media, as well as at 13 other locations throughout the county:
Dog owners can also apply for licenses online and have them mailed to their homes within seven business days.
State law requires that owners of dogs, three months and older, get a license every year, or have a lifetime license, as well as have a current rabies vaccination, county officials said.
Dog owners who fail to license their pups can face up to $300 in fines per unlicensed dog, according to the county.
Each year, animal control officers report that many stray canines are turned in to shelters because they lack the proper identification to be reunited with their owners, county officials said.
Fees collected through dog licensing are used by the state Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement to protect the safety, health and welfare of dogs, according to officials.
County official said the fees are also used to inspect and license kennels, investigate dog bites, prevent and investigate cruelty to dogs, assist humane organizations and provide educational services.
The state fee for an annual license for a spayed or neutered dog is $6.50; for all other dogs, the fee is $8.50; a lifetime license for spayed or neutered dogs is $31.50, and $51.50 for all others, county officials said. However, discounts are available to senior citizens 65 and older and people with disabilities.
Microchip forms are not available online and must be acquired at the Treasurer’s Office. If registering by mail, residents must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
For information on obtaining a 2018 dog license or the Return a Lost Dog program, call (610) 891-4276. Licenses, forms and information on the Return a Lost Dog Program and microchipping are available at the County Treasurer’s Office, on the ground floor of the Government Center in Media.
Pictured above in front from left are Vice Chair Colleen Morrone with Moose; Kennel Club member Marge Remolde; Councilman Kevin Madden with Paisley; Jen Rhyshek with her Labrador Retriever Maven. In back from left are Council members Brian Zidek, Chairman John McBlain, and Mike Culp.
Image via Delaware County
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