If your dog is already registered for a 2016 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 below)
We are repeating the contest we ran the last two years with our previous Animal Control Officer, Amanda Kennedy, who reported that last year’s licensing numbers were at a record high. We hope that our contest, to encourage dog licensing, played a part.
We are now working with our new Animal Control Officer, Katie Kozikowski, on the 2016 Arlington Dog Licensing Contest!
There are many good reasons for us to license our dogs in Arlington, as discussed below in the article by Amanda Kennedy. 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 with a form available here. To make this more fun, we are holding a contest! To be eligible for the gift drawing, all you need to do is register your dog anytime by February 28, 2016. We will draw tag numbers from all the 2016 tags that were registered with the Town by the deadline. (If you’ve already gotten your 2016 Arlington Dog License, you’re already entered!). After the deadline, we will select two numbers and award two prizes, donated by Friends of A-DOG Businesses. These will be announced. This year the prizes are:
- Blue pottery A-DOG dog bowl with all natural, wholesome dog treats. Bowl, handmade by an Arlington artist, was donated by A-DOG. Treats were donated by Friend of A-DOG “Sit, Stay, Beg” Cookies. One year A-DOG full membership ($20 value, new or extension of your existing membership). Total value $85.
- Ceramic “Doggy” travel coffee mug donated by A-DOG. Gift certificate ($20) and one dozen meringues donated by Friend of A-DOG Magic Bites Bakery. One year A-DOG full membership ($20 value, new or extension of your existing membership). Total value $65.
Everyone, whether you’re an A-DOG member or not, is eligible for both gifts! But, if you want to support this and future contests, please join A-DOG if you’re not already a member!
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The following article is reprinted from A-DOG’s January, 2015 e-newsletter Wags and Tags. It was written by Arlington’s Animal Control Officer at the time, Amanda Kennedy, who is now Director of Animal Care and Control for the City of Boston. The photo shows Katie Kozikowski, who is now Arlington’s Animal Control Officer. (Katie is with her dog, Winnie, at a Meet and Greet reception at Menotomy Rocks Park)
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Greetings and happy winter! I wanted to take a moment to thank A DOG for the wonderful partnership in increasing awareness of the requirement to license a dog.*
Incredibly, there are an estimated 8,000 dogs in the Town of Arlington. Fewer than 1,800 of them were licensed in 2013. 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!