All dogs must be licensed by Jan. 1
Milford. If a dog gets lost, a license is the best way to get them back. License fees also support animal control and helps keep shelters running.
Milford /
| 22 Dec 2020 | 12:21
Pennsylvanians can now purchase 2021 dog licenses from their county treasurers. State law requires all dogs three months and older to be licensed by January 1 of each year.
An annual dog license is $8.50, or $6.50 if the animal is spayed or neutered. Lifetime licenses are available for dogs that have permanent identification like a microchip or tattoo. Dog owners who are older adults or have disabilities may be eligible for discounts.
The dog license application is simple and only requests the owner’s contact information and details about the dog, like name, age, breed and color. For Pike County residents, the application is accessible online at pikepa.org/treasurer. Completed applications may be mailed to the Pike County Treasurer’s Office, 506 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337.
For more information, contact Pike County Treasurer John Gilpin at 570-296-3441.
Why your dog should be licensed
Pike County Treasurer John Gilpin offered these reasons for dog licensing:
If a dog gets lost, a license is the best way to get them back. A license helps animal control and shelters identify a dog and its rightful owners.
It’s the law. All dogs three months and older must have a current license.
The cost of a license is less than the penalty for being caught without one. Owners who fail to license their dogs could face a fine of up to $300 for each unlicensed dog.
License fees support animal control. The annual fee to license a dog helps keep shelters running and supports the work of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, which provides a number of vital services to protect dogs and the public.
Last year, the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement:
Enforced health and safety regulations in kennels by licensing 2,741 such operations and conducting more than 5,800 inspections.
Helped to secure more than 3,000 stray dogs, placing them in shelters until those that were licensed could be reunited with their owners.
Issued more than 2,700 citations and filed 85 misdemeanor complaints for violations of the Dog Law, including failing to license dogs, abandoning dogs, and allowing them to run at large.
Investigated more than 1,200 dog bites, and they investigated and monitored 616 dogs that were deemed dangerous by magisterial judges.