By Joe Rodweller
Well, if you haven’t, you’re late. That is, if you have not licensed your animals by now, you are in violation of the state’s laws. Oh no! What to do? Don’t worry, I don’t think there will be anyone who would be knocking on your door yet. But it’s coming. No matter what, you will now pay a small fine for being late. A late fee of $25 will be charged along with the regular fee to license your dog. Of course, you will also have to show proof of a rabies vaccination to license your dog, but then you already knew that. Do not wait too long. Right now the town offices are putting all the unlicensed animals and owner lists together. So they can have the Animal Control Officers serve a summons for having an unlicensed dog.
This of course will mean a larger fine on top of the late fee. Before you know it your unlicensed dog could cost you over $100 to license. So you see there is no good in dragging your feet or putting it off any longer. If you’re worried because you have to make an appointment for a rabies vaccination before you can get a license, make sure you schedule a date now and have that information available for the Animal Control Officer if he or she comes knocking on your door. Remember, no one can give you a break on the cost of your dog license. If there is a late fee it must be paid. If you have a sound and reasonable excuse for not having your dog licensed, you might get some extra time before a summons is issued but don’t count on it!
Having a pet comes down on you, the owner, to have the responsibility to take care of all this in a timely manner. No one should have to remind you. It’s just a courtesy that they do.
One more thing, there have been some dogs and cats that have gone missing recently but some have been located or found their way back home. If your pet wanders off and you need help, call your Animal Control Officer, the town office, your friends, the area shelters, if you can, in that order. Make a list with the name and numbers, it will help. The next thing to do is go to the last place you saw the animal and leave a shirt or jacket or piece of clothing from the animal’s master on the ground there. The next morning you may just find your pet lying on it waiting for you. This is just a little bit of information that might help you if the need arises. You can also call us; we cover a large area and have enough people willing to help find your missing family member. That’s all for now. Thanks for reading and stay vigilant.
Joe Rodweller of Linneus, a certified animal control officer and member of the Maine Animal Control Association, operates Maine Animal Control with his wife Debbie. He can be reached at 538-1347 or via e-mail at debjoe347@yahoo.com.
