Applications
for the 2009 Boston Dog Licenses began arriving in area homes this
week. If your dog is currently licensed, you should receive the
application in the mail. Under state law, all dogs must be licensed by
April 1st of each year.
(We decided to let our own little Maggie Mae be our Sunday Dog this week because was just groomed, and she looks so cute.)
How to get a license
If your dog is not currently licensed in Boston, you can obtain a
license application at Boston City Hall in room 811. Forms may also be
downloaded from the city's website at Boston Animal Control.
Rabies and Licensing Clinics
The application package and the web page also include a brochure
with a list of "Boston Neighborhood Licensing and Rabies Clinics."
These began yesterday at the Animal Rescue League at 10 Chandler Street
in the South End. The city hasn't updated its site with the new clinic
dates and places, but you can call them for the details. We'll try to
pester them into putting the new brochure up. Meanwhile, here are the
dates through the end of April.
- Roslindale • Wednesday • March 25- 4 PM-8 PM • Boston Animal Shelter • 26 Mahler Road
- Dorchester • Saturday • March 28 • 10 AM-2 PM • Murphy Community Center • 1 Worrell Street
- North End • Wednesday • April 1 • 4 PM-8 PM • Nazarro Community Center • 30 North Bennett Street
- Roxbury • Saturday • April 4 • 10 AM-2 PM • Tobin Community Center • 1481 Tremont Street
- Codman Square • Saturday • April 18 • 10 AM-2 PM • Perkins Community Center • 155 Talbot Street
- Jamaica Plain • Saturday • April 18 • 10 AM-2 PM • Curtis Hall Community Center • 20 South Street
The
clinics offer the opportunity to have a dog vaccinated at a low cost
and pick up a license at the same time. The rabies vaccinations will
cost $5.00 with a further discount making it $2.00 for seniors. If you
bring a current, unexpired rabies certificate, you can get a three-year
vaccination for the same price. A total of fourteen clinics have been
announced throughout the Spring and Summer.
License Costs and City Hall Pick Up
Boston has a three-tiered price structure for dog licenses. It costs
$6.00 per year to license a neutered male or spayed female dog. That
fee jumps to $17.00 if the animal is intact, and to $50.00 with a
special application needed for a Pit Bull.
To pickup a license at City Hall, you should bring both a rabies and
a spay/neuter certificate. Many veterinarians include confirmation that
the animal is spayed or neutered on their rabies certificates. Then,
the one form will serve both purposes. You can also ask your current
veterinarian to issue a confirmation that your dog is not intact if you
have lost your original paperwork.
Mailing In Application
Those
who mail in their applications should pay careful attention to the
instructions. You should be certain to include the requested
certificates, a check payable to animal control and a stamped
self-addressed envelope. That envelop will be used to send
your dog’s license and tag to you. Once your dog is registered with the
city, Animal Control will provide a business reply envelope for you to
mail in your application and you will only have to pay the
postage one way each year.
Filling Out the Forms - Details Help
One reason for licensing is to assist the Animal Control Department
in reuniting you with your dog if it should become lost of stolen. Dog
guardians can assist in this process by giving detailed information on
the form in the spaces where breed, and color/markings are described.
Mixed breeds should be described with the most recognizable breed
first follow by any other part of the mix that might help identify the
dog. Animal Control uses examples like “Shepard/Collie/X” and
“Chihuahua/Beagle/X.”
Under the space on the application for color and markings, you may
want to include any the placement of any tattoos and the location of a
microchip if your dog has one.
Other Resources
The animal control web page also contains many valuable resources
for families with pets. These include links to a list of low cost
animal clinics, city rules and regulations that concern pets and pet
adoption opportunities.
You can also download an important brochure on how you should plan
to protect your pets in case of an emergency. Since many emergency
shelters do not allow pets, families with pets have to make their own
arrangements for somewhere to stay should it become necessary to
evacuate their homes.
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Details:
(Photo credit: ©2009 Penny Cherubino)
Maggie Mae's grooming by Kelly's Underground Dog Grooming
www.kellysunderground.com
Boston Animal Control
http://www.cityofboston.gov/animalcontrol/petpeeves.asp
