LAWRENCE COUNTY Unlicensed dogs cost owners who get caught

Dog owners who don't have the $6 to $8 licenses face fines up to $300.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Hercules, a hulking St. Bernard, and Pebbles, a teeny-tiny poodle, were all barks and wagging tails when Lawrence County Dog Warden Tom Wharry walked onto their Ray Street porch.
Their owner, Linda Black, wasn't as happy.
Wharry and dog wardens from Greene, Butler, Westmoreland, Washington and Armstrong counties canvassed Lawrence County Tuesday and Wednesday looking for unlicensed pooches.
Black is one of the Lawrence County residents who face up to $300 fines for not having the $6 to $8 licenses for their dogs. Some pet owners received a second citation for not having an updated rabies inoculation.
"This is our fault. We just kept putting it off," Black said after getting her two citations -- one for not having a license and the second for not having the dogs inoculated.
Telltale signs: The dog wardens inched their way through several neighborhoods in green-blue trucks looking for signs of homes with dogs. Fenced-in yards, dog houses, chains and bare spots in the yard all gave clues to homes with dogs.
But for Ralphie, it was a woman walking down the street who told Wharry there was dog running loose on Countyline Street.
The mixed-breed dog bounded from yard to yard, across the street and down the block with a dead squirrel in its mouth as Wharry questioned owner Malcolm Houk about the dog's license and rabies vaccinations.
"I thought I had a year," Houk said after Wharry gave him citations for not having a license or proof of a rabies vaccination for Ralphie.
"That dog is dragging around a dead squirrel. That's exactly why he should have a vaccination," Wharry said.
And the license is also a good idea too, the dog warden said.
"It's kind of like an insurance policy for your dog. You get the dog back if it runs loose. We can just check the tags. Otherwise they end up going someplace like the humane society. Plus it's the law," he said.
Wharry, who is dog warden for Lawrence and Beaver counties, said he answers about 130 dog complaint calls a month in Lawrence County. They are usually for strays and dog bites.
Being current on rabies vaccinations and having an up-to-date dog license covers owners on both counts, he said.
The license fees pay the salaries of dog wardens, who are employees of the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Dog Law.
When they are not looking for compliance on dog licenses, their duties include inspecting kennels, boarding kennels and breeding operations.
The dog wardens take turns canvassing counties as a group to check for current licenses each year. Wharry said Lawrence County was their first stop this year, but they expect to come back later and check again.
Those who received citations this week have 10 days to take them to the local magistrate and either pay a fine or prove that they had a current license or vaccination before they were give the citation.