Pa. residents reminded they must buy dog licenses

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Department of Agriculture today reminded all dog owners to purchase a 2012 dog license as required by Pennsylvania law.

Failure to license a dog is a summary offense and could result in a maximum fine of $300 for each unlicensed dog. Licensing helps identify owners in the event a dog gets lost.

State law requires that all dogs 3 months or older be licensed each year. An annual license is $8.45 and a lifetime license is $51.45. If the animal is spayed or neutered, the annual fee is $6.45 and lifetime is $31.45.

Discounts are available to older adults and people with disabilities.

“Every year my wife and I stop by our local treasurer's office to buy a license for our dog, Max. It's an inexpensive way to keep peace of mind, and it's the law,” said Agriculture Secretary George Greig.

In 2011, there were 920,797 individual dog licenses sold, including 884,731 annual and 36,066 lifetime licenses.

Dog licenses are available at county treasurer’s offices. A list of county treasurers and a downloadable license application is available at www.agriculture.state.pa.us.