Is Your Dog Licensed?

Late last year, Garden City's village board amended their local law regarding dog licenses since the municipality became responsible for their issuance as of January 2011.

Currently, only 379 dogs are licensed in Garden City, according to village clerk Brian Ridgway.

The village is kicking off a campaign during April and May to "encourage all Garden City residents that have not licensed their dog to do so," Ridgway said.

All village dog owners are urged to pick up a dog license application at Garden City Village Hall. Licensing your dog is not only required by law but helps your furry family member be easily identified with a proper Garden City tag and I.D. number in case he/she gets lost. Once licensed, the village will automatically send out an annual renewal notice and rabies vaccine reminder each year.

As of Jan. 1, the incorporated village became responsible for all dog licensing, including the procurement of new municipal identification tags, tracking and license renewals.

Under the new program, the village collects and retains all license fees with the exception of a surcharge to be deposited into a New York State animal population control fund. The surcharge must be a minimum of $1 for altered dogs and at least $3 for unaltered dogs.

Trustees approved the purchase of computer software to take over the licensing task at a cost of $4,960. According to Ridgway, the software saves village staff a "tremendous" amount of time as they track renewals, generate monthly renewal letters, etc.

A possible increase in village fees, including dog licensing fees, will likely be discussed when the board revamps the village fee schedule in April.

Visit village hall at 351 Stewart Avenue or call 465-4000 for more information.