Just moved here about 2 months ago, is this enforced at all?

Most towns yes if they find out

Enforcement varies a lot, GENERALLY, no one is driving around looking for dogs and checking to see if they are licensed. However, it’s cheap and you should do it. Plus, if your dog got loose or anyone complained about it for whatever reason, you’d get fined for not having it done.

Every town does this. Some towns do rabies clinics right around April 1 so you can do them both at the same time.

A licensed dog (wearing its tags) is more likely to make its way back to you if it gets lost. It’s also much easier to confirm rabies status if a dog is registered in town, vs. not - not everyone puts their rabies tag on their dog’s collar. Check your town’s dog licensing ordinance — the late charges are typically 1.5 x the regular license fee, plus a penalty for each pet licensed late. Ferrets also have to be licensed as well.

It’s good to do in case your dog gets loose so they know where the dog belongs even if you don’t pick up the phone number listed with their tags/microchip. I got fined $100 once in shelburne when my dog got without being licensed

Rabies tags don’t mean too much anyway. You can buy packs of them on Amazon.

Edit for the downvotes: I DON’T DO THIS. I’m a dog groomer and it’s the reason I require people to bring paperwork. Rabies vaccines are required by law and usually the only one groomers require, but people still try to bring old tags, swap tags with other dogs, or buy tags instead of just taking their dog to the damn vet.

I miss low licensing fees. It was $6.50 a year when I lived in Pittsburgh. It’s $27 in Burlington 😭

If a non-registered dog gets picked up wandering loose and being a nuisance by animal control, the dog goes to a veterinarian or whomever your town contracts to hold the dog. The owner is responsible for paying fees to get the dog released only after showing proof of registration. So instead of just paying $9 the bill could be double or triple digits. Seems an easy answer….just get your dog registered in your town.

The dog cops are everywhere. License or prepare to be in the slammer. In reality I don't know anyone who has gotten in trouble for failure to license.

We spare no expense insuring that every dog is licensed in town because the Town Clerk gets a cut of the licensing fees.

Many years ago, I was out walking my dog in my town and the animal control officer did stop and ask me if my dog was licensed and then asked me to point out homes in the neighborhood that had dogs. So it can happen, it's not common though.

Lol if you’re buying fake rabies tags you probably shouldn’t own a dog.

I probably should have said I don’t do this. I’m a dog groomer. Being able to buy tags online is why I require to see the paperwork.

Haha okay you had me scared for a second. Didn’t know people could actually do that - that’s crazy!

There are a lot of people who shouldn’t own dogs. A lot.

This is serious?! I always drive past the sign saying to do it by April 1st, so I always wrote it off as an old April Fool's gag.

> and then asked me to point out homes in the neighborhood that had dogs.

wut.

"How serious" in what way? For the health of your dog? For the prevention of the possible spread of Rabies? For the miniscule yearly cost of licensing? For the ability of town to get yor lost dog back to you in a timely and convenient manner?

Yes, It's serious, and for those who don't see or understand that maybe their pet would be better off living with someone who does.

You're only going to "get in trouble" if your dog is picked up loose and it's found that you haven't had them licensed or vaccinated. If you're found at all, as no one may know whose dog it is without tags/registration.

Pittssburgh's population is declining, they miss and need you. Answer the call. ¯\_( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)_/¯

Pittsburgh had a lot of downfalls, but at least their people aren’t gatekeeping asshats.

Dog narcs

As serious as a case of rabies.

Someone must have reported you, that's the only way you get a summons for that if you never have in the past.

A tax that’s not a tax for the privilege of owning a dog. Any way the government can extort a few more bucks

I have an indoor cat, sorry, I’m not registering it with the town. My dog is always leashed on a walk and is microchipped and always up to date with the vet and it’s shots. Pound sand town, as I don’t use your dog parks and my cat’s registration doesn’t provide me anything that my taxes don’t already pay! Mic drop

It’s a joke. You don’t need to register your AR. You don’t need to register your pup.