Dog Licensing/Renewal Contest 2014!

 

wagdog

If your dog is already registered for a 2014 Arlington Dog License by the February 28 deadline, you’re already entered in our contest!  If you have two dogs registered, you’re entered twice!  (see details in green and blue, below)

 

There are many good reasons for us to license our dogs in Arlington, as discussed below in an article by our Animal Control Officer.  For example, the more ID that he has, the better the chance that a lost dog will be returned quickly to his owner.

In addition, the Town bylaws (as amended in 2009) call for costly late fees, in addition to the $50 fine for having an unlicensed dog.  The rules for off-leash recreation, including at the Thorndike fenced dog park, require that a dog be licensed. (If the dog and her owner do not live in Arlington, the dog should be registered in her own community.)

A very important reason, also noted in the article, is that Town resources for programs that benefit dog owners are best justified if the number of dogs living in Arlington can be accurately estimated.  This is impossible if there is not a high level of compliance with the dog licensing requirements.

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For reasons such as these, A-DOG encourages its members to license their dogs.  The license is obtained through the Town Clerk’s office as described here.  To make this more fun, we are holding a contest!  To be eligible for the baseline gift drawing, all you need to do is register your dog anytime by February 28, 2014.  We will draw tag numbers from all the 2014 tags that were registered with the Town by the deadline.  (If you’ve already gotten your 2014 Arlington Dog License, you’re already entered!).  We will select two numbers and award two prizes, donated by Friends of A-DOG Businesses:  A “Spring Cleanup” Grooming Package (value $35) from GoPlay! and a Gift Certificate (value $25) from Menotomy Beer, Wine and Spirits!  

AND, any winner drawn who is also an A-DOG full member with dues up to date will also get a bonus gift from A-DOG!  

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The following article is reprinted from A-DOG’s November, 2013 e-newsletter Wags and Tags.  It was written by Arlington’s Animal Control Officer, Amanda Kennedy.

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Amanda

Incredibly, there are an estimated 8,000 dogs in the Town of Arlington. Fewer than 1,800 of them are licensed at this time.  For a community that has shown such devotion to their dogs this is surprising and we can do better!

Here are five reasons why that situation should change:

1. If your dog gets lost, a license tag on your dog’s collar is the fastest way to find you when your dog is found. Even if your dog is microchipped, a license tag is immediately visible and doesn’t require a scanning device to read it, like a microchip does. In addition oftentimes people forget to update the microchip information to reflect moves and change of phone number.

2. Licensing lets people know that your canine companion has received required vaccinations that protect your dog from rabies.

3. The number of licensed dogs is the official count of the number of dogs in our community.  How can the Animal Control Department advocate for parks, off-leash areas and other positive resources when it seems we have fewer than 1,800 dogs? If we can show the 8,000 dogs living here, think how much could be accomplished.

4. Your dog’s license shows that you are a responsible dog caregiver. When you walk your dog or let your dog run in designated areas, people will notice the license on your dog’s collar and know that you really care about your dog’s welfare. Dogs without licenses carry a stigma of owner neglect.

5. It’s the law. You can be fined $50. Good citizens that care about the community get their dogs licensed.

 Don’t worry, there is no drivers’ education or road test required!

Arlington Animal Control Officer Amanda Kennedy may be contacted here.  Her portrait by Shunsuke Yamaguchi, Arlington, is reprinted with the artist’s permission.  The “license and registration” cartoon is also by Shunsuke Yamaguchi and the artist’s fee was donated to A-DOG by Joan and Dana Black.

 

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