Jan. 26 – ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP – Pet Supplies Plus and Tractor Supply filled up with furry friends during the District Inspector’s annual mobile dog license sale last weekend.
Ashtabula County Auditor David Thomas and Office Manager Sue Belden brought their mobile canine license table to the two stores, selling a total of 64 licenses and raising more than $800.
“We want to thank Pet Supplies Plus and Tractor Supplies and all the people who came out to get their pup legal,” said Thomas. “Many visitors have expressed their appreciation for making this process more convenient.”
Dog owners could buy their prized puppies one-year-old, three-year-old, or lifetime tags.
Many shoppers brought their dogs, a welcome sight in the pet-friendly shops. Thomas chose the Tractor Supply time to coincide with the vet’s presence.
“We saw a lot of people who came specifically for our sale and then others who just happened to be in both stores and decided to buy a license,” Thomas said.
All dogs three months or older must register or renew their license between December 1st and January 31st each year. The licenses will notify the dog keeper of official ownership and owner contact information if a dog is lost or a concern arises. These fees help with the cost of housing and the dog handler’s funds.
Licenses cost $12 for a one-year tag, $36 for a three-year tag, and $120 for a lifetime tag. Thomas shared that the Auditor’s Office offers a number of ways to obtain a license online, from the Auditor’s Office, by mail, or from one of the nine community registrars: Conneaut Library, Ashtabula City and Jefferson License Bureaus, Pleasant Animal Hospital, Edgewood Veterinary Hospital, Kray Feed, APL, Caliber Feed & Supply and the Western Reserve Animal Clinic.
The Auditor’s Office has sold nearly 7,000 licenses so far this season, and it’s still a week before licenses increase after Jan. 31.
“We are at this point behind where we were last year, which I think is partly due to higher inflation and more economic difficulties,” he said. “We will continue to reach out and educate the public to make this more convenient and better.”
In addition to continuing mobile sales this year, the Auditor’s Office also has many local registrars among them
Dog owners are reminded that dog license fees will increase after January 31st. Puppies and newly acquired dogs are eligible for the regular, lower $12 license fee year-round.
