Dog license fees to double for tardy owners

Owners who follow Ohio law and license their dogs also are helping other dogs.

“The cost of doing this,” Franklin County Auditor Clarence Mingo said, “reflects good government and good taxpayer cooperation.”

In Ohio, county auditors are responsible for issuing dog licenses.

Wednesday, Jan. 31, is the deadline for dogs 3 months or older to be licensed at the regular rates. A oneyear license for spayed or neutered dogs is $18. The one-year fee for dogs that haven’t been spayed or neutered is $35. After Wednesday, those fees double.

As of Friday, 101,053 dogs had been licensed in Franklin County, a number likely to increase before the Wednesday deadline. That’s a nearly 10 percent increase over last year’s 92,000 licenses.

“Because of the volume of the number of licenses issued, it’s a sizable task for us,” Mingo said. “It is one of the more lighthearted administrative tasks my office undertakes.”

One-year licenses account for 85 percent of all dog licenses in Franklin County. Three-year and permanent licenses, at $54 and $180, respectively, also are available. Licensing costs Mingo’s office $130,000 to collect the fees but generates more than $2 million annually for the Franklin County Dog Shelter, which has a $5 million budget for 2018.

The dog shelter is an “open” shelter, accepting all dogs found on the street without a license or left at the shelter by owners unable or unwilling to care for them. The shelter took in more than 11,000 dogs last year.

Owners donated $30,000 to the shelter in 2017 while getting dog licenses. That money is used for items at the shelter including the walking track, which allows dogs to get outdoor exercise year round. Mixed ............................. 15,470 Labrador retriever .......... 4,420 Labrador mix ................... 2,990 Chihuahua ....................... 2,863 Pit bull ............................. 2,398 German shepherd ........... 2,383 Golden retriever ............. 2,262 Shih Tzu ........................... 2,156 Yorkie ............................... 2,129 Beagle .............................. 2,051 Dachsund ........................ 1,876 Boxer ................................ 1,763 Terrier mix ....................... 1,380 Beagle mix ...................... 1,363 Pit bull mix ...................... 1,165 Jack Russell terrier ......... 1,139 Goldendoodle .................. 1,043 Mini schnauzer .................. 938 Australian shepherd .......... 872 Poodle ................................... 806

License applications can be downloaded online from the auditor’s website — follow the link at www. franklincountyauditor. com — or by going to the auditor’s Downtown office in the Franklin County Government Center, Floor 21, 373 S. High St.

Wednesday also is the deadline for dogs to get rabies shots. All dogs in Franklin County are required to have rabies shots and wear a tag to prove they’ve been vaccinated. The Franklin County Public Health Department is hosting a low-cost rabies immunization clinic from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the county fairgrounds’ Edwards Building, 4100 Columbus St. in Hilliard. Dog licenses also will be sold there.

No appointments are needed. The shots are each $5 cash.