By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter)

Dog owners reminded license renewals are due

Jan 14, 2018 | 7:22 AM

LETHBRIDGE – An important deadline is approaching for dog owners in Lethbridge.

Renewals of city dog licenses are due Jan. 31. A city bylaw requires all pet dogs at least six months of age to be licensed, and overdue renewals are subject to fines.

Animal control peace officer Skylar Plourde said there are many benefits to licensing, notably proof of ownership.

“Not only if your dog becomes lost, but if there was some kind of incident where the dog may have been stolen, or you had a family emergency in the home and the dog got away and there was maybe a discrepancy over who might own the animal, that license provides proof of ownership to whoever’s registered with the city,” Plourde said.

Also, a dog brought to the animal shelter is held for a minimum of 10 business days if it is licensed, compared to five if it isn’t, Plourde explained.

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Being caught with an unlicensed dog by an officer can bring a $150 fine for the first offense, up to $300 for the second offense within 12 months. Officers issued 505 tickets in 2017, while just over 8,000 dogs were licensed with the city.

“The number of people renewing on time over the last three years has gone up, and that actually comes, I believe, from the education part,” Plourde added.

Fees range from $20 for a dog that is fixed and has a microchip and/or a tattoo to $50 to a non-fixed dog that has neither. Plourde said the money goes into education programs, shelter operations, and developing off-leash parks.