It is the time of year for dog owners to think about purchasing tags.
Dog licenses are available now through Jan. 31. A one-year dog license is $18 and three-year dog licenses are $54. Permanent, nontransferable dog licenses can be bought for $180.
In February, the price of tags doubles and owners face the potential of a fine for failure to license their dog. Under Ohio law, all dogs older than three months old must be licensed.
Union County Dog Warden, Deputy Pete Lenhardt said that is the reason to purchase a license.
“It is the law,” he said.
He said the licenses can also help him identify a dog and reunite it with its family.
“If they have a dog license, it is pretty easy for us to get the dog back to its owner,” Lenhardt said.
He said that a neighbor who finds a licensed dog can also check the county website and call the owner directly.
Officials have said it can be extremely difficult to reunite an unlicensed dog with its owner.
In the past, if an unlicensed animal was found, officials said they would check the county’s dog registry to see if a similar dog has been registered in the area and will ask area residents if they recognize the animal.
Officials say a dog license is “the best and least expensive insurance a dog owner can ever purchase.”
Lenhardt said that now he scans for a microchip and if there isn’t one, he takes the animal to the humane society.
Unlicensed dogs can be adopted as strays after just 3 days.
By law, a dog warden is required to hold licensed dogs for at least 14 days and to contact the owner, letting them know their dog is safe in the shelter.
Officials have said that even people who do not plan to let their dogs out of the house need to purchase a license.
Dog licenses can be purchased at the Union County Auditor’s Office, 233 W. Sixth Street, Marysville, or the Union County Humane Society, 16540 County Home Road, Marysville. Licenses can be purchased online also.
Kennel licenses are an option for businesses that breed and sell dogs.
Money from dog license fees goes directly into the county’s dog and kennel fund which pays for the dog warden and helps fund the animal shelter.
For 2021, more than 7,700 dog licenses were sold. In 2020, the county sold more than 7,900 licenses.
Dog license numbers are used by the dog warden, emergency management agency and health departments to calculate needs in the event of a health emergency or a natural or man-made disaster.
Lenhardt also said that if a dog is lost, it is better to contact the sheriff’s office immediately, rather than to try to find the dog.
“I’d rather go out and find the dog right away, than get a call in two or three days,” Lenhardt said. “The dog could be miles away by then.”