PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania dog owners are being reminded that they must purchase a 2023 license for their canine friend by January 1, 2023. Licenses protect all Pennsylvania dogs and are the best way to ensure your pet will be returned to you quickly if it becomes lost. Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding encouraged all dog lovers to license their pets, as it is the “simplest way” to keep them safe.
A license on a dog’s collar is the most visible way that your pet can be identified and quickly returned home, even if it has a microchip. In addition, licenses are an important responsibility for each canine owner; they help ensure the safety of all Pennsylvania dogs.
All dogs three months of age and older are required to be licensed in Pennsylvania. An annual license is $8.50, and a lifetime license is $51.50. If the animal is spayed or neutered, the annual fee is $6.50, and lifetime is $31.50. Lifetime licenses require that the dog have a microchip or tattoo. Discounts are available to older adults and people with disabilities.
Your dog license purchase keeps all PA dogs and communities safe by funding the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement’s work:
- Inspecting Pennsylvania’s kennels and ensuring the health and wellbeing of dogs that spend their lives there;
- Investigating and prosecuting illegal kennel and puppy mill operators;
- Ensuring that dogs in breeding operations don’t go without veterinary care;
- Protecting the public by monitoring dangerous dogs, investigating dog bites, and holding owners responsible;
- Reuniting licensed lost dogs with their families; and
- Helping unlicensed lost dogs find shelter.
Fines for unlicensed dogs range from $50 to $300, plus court costs – far more than the cost of a license.
Licenses can be purchased through Pennsylvania’s county treasurers. To ensure you’re purchasing a legitimate license and not being scammed, skip the search engine and type licenseyourdogpa.pa.gov into your browser’s address bar to find your county treasurer.
For more information of Pennsylvania’s dog laws, visit agriculture.pa.gov or licenseyourdogpa.pa.gov.
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