Do you license your dog? I know this sounds like a silly question since we're all SUPPOSED to license our dogs but my thought is that maybe not all of us do. Apparently the cut off in Michigan to get the cheap rate ($12) for a dog license is February 28th. Obviously we missed it. I could have sworn it was in March but, no. Instead the price doubled ($24) because I waited to get my license at our annual vet check up on March 16th. I have two thoughts on this:
- Yes, I think we all SHOULD get the license. It helps our local government keep track of the needs and trends of its citizens which SHOULD lead to more dog-friendly cities that include parks, trails, clean-up bags, animal control, and other dog accommodations. It also insures that licensed dogs are up-to-date on vaccinations... which is good.
- Doesn't this seem like old technology? Why don't these things automatically renew or at least send a notice each year?
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| We got a new ID tag just for good measure, too. |
I feel like I got a little ripped off. I'm a good dog owner. Winnie is clean, vaccinated, well fed, well exercised, well trained, well socialized, AND neutered so she won't be adding any unwanted critters to the mix. Now don't get me wrong, I'm good for the $24 bucks but why do I feel like the good-guys just got taken? There are a TON of un-licensed dogs out there that are NOT so well taken care of and no one has the time or energy to police this anyway. My point? It would have been really easy to say at the vet "Oh, the price just went up? Uhh... I don't have my checkbook today so I'll just take care of it later." and skip out on my civic dog duty. (Yup, I said dog duty and I'm sticking to it) I wish someone in a municipal office out there would have said "Hey, let's give these otherwise proactive people a break and remind them they need to register their pooch... you know, the pooch that doesn't make any trouble for us anyway." Instead they punish the people that are at the vet - doing the right thing - with a higher price.
That's my rant. Here's your $24 bucks Michigan. Please put it to good use.
6 comments:
haha, I haven't gotten a license for GIbson for the past 2 years.. Why? Because I always put it off until the last minute and then I am too lazy to make a copy of his vaccination records and mail a check (for just $5).. or really lazy to just go over to the office and pay it. And for some reason I refuse to pay $20 for it. Oh well, maybe next year?
Your double rate is still low. I pay $30 each, and have 5 dogs licensed here (4 living here, and Pilot at his handlers) and another who will be 6 months and licensed next month.
I'm on good terms with our county Animal Control people and they know that they can call me when they have a corgi come in or find one in need. I consider this important.
I never licensed her in MA, but I did when I moved to NY. In order to use one of the dog parks here, she needed to be licensed...so that's why. And they send out notices to us when we need to renew, or I'd never remember!!! That's annoying you have to pay more now though.
Interesting that they make you have your license to get into the dog parks... nice that they only would let healthy dogs in really.
My license fee is cheap, 5 bucks for a neutered dog. The county have permanent dog tags now (got smart a couple of years ago to save the expense of making new tags each year). They also renew for up to 3 years since in Va. rabies shots are good for that long. So they send you a reminder, you send them the $ and keep using the same metal tag.
Now, I do get the license, but I never have it on my dogs. It's too easy to lose, makes their pretty white fur nasty and stained, etc. I also let my dogs, ahem, ah, off leash, and I don't want the double whammy of an off leash ticket AND a no-license ticket! I don't do dogs parks so licensing for that is a non-issue for me.
A license in Ohio is a flat $25, and that goes for neutered or unneutered. I think it's less if you register the pup before it's 6 months old, but it's not a substantial amount.
The apartment complex I live in currently has strict rules that won't even let you have a dog unless you can provide a license, utd vaccines, ect. Kinda nice since it weeds out all the people who just abandoned their dogs when they move out...
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