Town of North East conducts dog census, encourages licensing of pets

MILLERTON — A stack of letters destined for the outgoing mail sat on Marcy Wheatley’s desk at Town Hall. Wheatley, the North East deputy town clerk, said the correspondence was related to pet licensing, which has been in decline in recent years, despite being a New York State requirement.

“Renewal numbers have gone down, down, down,” observed town clerk Elizabeth “Tilly” Strauss, who is currently undertaking a dog census in North East as part of a campaign that began on Jan. 1 to determine the number of canines in town and their licensing status. Strauss is a dog-lover who is mystified by the drop in the numbers of licenses issued in the Town of North East. According to Strauss, 407 pet licenses were issued in 2017. By the following year, the number had dropped to 331. The trend downward, which has not been attributed to any particular cause, has continued, and the number of current licenses is around 200 – less than half of what was issued eight years ago.

In New York State, pet licensing is a legal requirement, but there are very practical reasons for obtaining a license. In 1992, as infected animals presented themselves in the region, Dutchess County was designated as a rabies county. As a result and for everyone’s protection, all dogs and cats must receive a rabies vaccination.

Vaccination is a requirement for licensing, and the license serves as proof of a pet’s vaccination status. Licenses must be renewed annually and rabies vaccinations must remain up-to-date. According to the New York State Department of Health, a pet should receive its first vaccination by around four months of age with a second vaccination to follow a year later. Subsequent booster shots should take place either annually or every three years, depending on the type of vaccine administered.

Once the vaccine has been administered, a license can be issued to the pet owner. Ideally, licenses are issued to owners when a pet is four months old and renewed each year. In the Town of North East, license fees are $10 for spayed and neutered animals and $20 for those that are not. Strauss is strongly encouraging pet licensing as failure to do so may result in the issuance of court appearance tickets and fines for pet owners. Additionally, the town’s dog control officer will be conducting random checks to ensure compliance.

Applications and additional information on pet licensing can be found at Town Hall in Millerton. Renewal requests can be submitted online by going to: townofnortheastny.gov, clicking on “Forms,” and navigating to the “Dog License Application.”