MILFORD, PA ― Pennsylvania dog owners can now purchase dog licenses for 2022  from their county treasurer's office.

State law requires all dogs three months and older to be licensed by January 1 of each year, regardless of when the license was purchased the previous year. Failing to secure a license can result in a fine ranging from $25 to $300 per unlicensed animal.

An annual dog license is $8.50, or $6.50 if the animal is spayed or neutered. If the owner is a senior citizen or a person with a disability, an annual license is $6.50, or $4.50 if the animal is spayed or neutered.

Lifetime licenses are available for dogs that have permanent identification like a microchip or tattoo. Lifetime licenses are $51.50, or $31.50 for animals that are spayed or neutered. The cost for a senior citizen or person with a disability is $31.50, or $21.50 if dog is spayed or neutered.

The dog license application is simple and only requests owner contact information and details about the dog that is being licensed, including name, age, breed and color. 

For Pike County residents, the application is accessible online at https://www.pikepa.org under the Government heading on the Treasurer’s Office page. 

Individuals must mail the completed application to the Pike County Treasurer’s Office, 506 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337.

Pike County Treasurer John Gilpin offered these reasons for dog licensing:

• The Pike County treasurer’s office maintains a database of licenses issued. This database enables lost dogs to be reunited with their rightful owners. 
• Having a dog license helps animal control and shelters identify a dog and its rightful owners.
• Licensing your dog is a state-mandated law, enforced by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
• The cost of acquiring a dog license is significantly less than the penalty for being caught without one. Owners who fail to license their dog could face a fine of up to $300 per unlicensed dog, in addition to court costs.
• The fee attached to dog licenses supports animal control, including helping to keep shelters running, and supports the work of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, which provides numerous vital services to protect dogs and the public.

Last year, the Bureau of Dog Law enforced health and safety regulations in kennels by licensing 2,428 such operations and conducting more than 5,200 kennel inspections; helped to secure more than 4,500 stray dogs, placing them in shelters until those that were licensed could be reunited with their owners; issued more than 3,000 citations and filed 115 misdemeanor complaints about violations of the Dog Law, including failing to license dogs, abandoning dogs and allowing them to run at large; investigated nearly 1,500 dog bites; and investigated and monitored 587 dogs that were deemed dangerous by magisterial judges.

For more information on dog licenses, lifetime microchips or tattoos, contact Pike County Treasurer John Gilpin at 570/296-3441 or visit https://www.pikepa.org/treasurer.

For a list of county treasurers, visit https://www.licenseyourdogPA.com or call the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement Office at 717/781-3062.