Good Reasons Why to Get a Dog License

Written by Senior Editor Peter Gehr

Good Reasons Why to Get a Dog License

Good Reasons Why to Get a Dog License

Getting your dog’s legal paperwork in order will vary from State to State, and there are lots of good reasons why to get a dog license.

There are numerous reasons why you should get a dog license for your pet, and probably one at the top of the list is that is shows you are a responsible owner, and you care for your animal.

Besides, if your dog were to get lost, you may never find your beloved puppy again if he/she has no license, and let me tell you a story to emphasize my point:

My dog Jessica used to sit by my towel when I was out surfing. She would sit there for hours without moving, or even responding to people walking past. She would stare out at the ocean until she’d see me coming out of the water, and then she’d come charging towards me like I’d been gone for eternity.

One afternoon, I was surfing with a group of friends, and, as per usual Jessica sat by my towel diligently waiting for me to arrive, and once I got out of the water she was there on the shoreline with her traditional greeting, dancing up and down, and then settling down to walking beside me. Okay, so everything was routine, and she followed me up to the car like we’d done hundreds of times, I put away all my gear, got in the car and drove away—without the dog! So you’re thinking just like I did, OMG! However, I didn’t realize until I got home that she wasn’t in the car. The whole time I thought she was asleep on the back seat as per usual—but when I got home and realized she wasn’t there, my heart sank. To cut a long story short, her license identified her, I was called immediately, and I drove to pick her up, and that never happened again. Whew!

Good Reasons Why to Get a Dog License

By Nicole Pajer (writing for Cesar’s Way)

1. It’s the law. In most states, it’s mandatory that dog owners have their pets licensed. If you get caught without a license, which can and does happen, you will be hit with a hefty fine. Dogs must have a renewed license each year, which must be displayed on them at all times.

2. If your dog goes missing, having him licensed drastically improves your chances of getting him back. A license tag helps animal control and shelters quickly identify your dog and get him back to you safely. If your dog is found wandering the streets, a rescue organization can easily look up your dog via its license identifying number. Dogs that are licensed tend to be kept at the shelter longer than unlicensed dogs, which are the first to be euthanized if their owners do not quickly claim them.

3. The cost of the license is far less than the penalty for being caught without one. If a city official finds your dog without a license, you can end up paying a fee of up to $250! In addition, some cities consider owning an unlicensed dog to be a class IV misdemeanor.

4. Licensing lets people know that your dog is up to date on its rabies vaccinations. A dog cannot be licensed unless it is properly vaccinated. Animal control or a Good Samaritan will be much more likely to want to handle and care for your missing pup if they know that it is healthy and sans rabies.

5. License fees support the efforts of many local animal shelters. Typically, the annual fee that you pay to license your dog helps to keep shelters running and supports the work of your local animal control. By paying to properly ID your dog, you are helping to feed and house stray dogs found on the streets within your city. Click here to visit the original source of this post

Again, each state has different fees and requirements. Simply check with the local authority and you can sort it out pretty easily. The above are good reasons why to get a dog license, do your best to be a good dog owner by keeping your pet safe, documented and in compliance to your community rules—it’s not a hard thing to do, and the fees are reasonable.