Dog licenses due Jan. 31

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A new year has brought with it the requirement to get new dog licenses in not only Highland County but throughout the state, and Animal Control Officer Lanny Brown told The Times-Gazette dog owners can save money by renewing their dog’s tags before the Jan. 31 deadline.

“It’s a good idea to get the dog tags before Jan. 31, because after that all the dog tags double in price,” Brown said. “Here in Highland County, they’ll go to $24.”

At present, Brown said there are nine dogs being housed at the Highland County Dog Pound and the sale of dog tags is the facility’s only means of support, aside from public donations and the annual Barktoberfest held in the fall.

Almost 70 percent of the dogs in Highland County are unlicensed, he said, amounting to about 5,000 dogs, and the benefit of purchasing dog tags is that the owner can be quickly located should the animal get loose.

Dog owners in neighboring counties like Adams and Brown are quick the realize the benefits of dog licenses, he said, since many of them are hunters and have a substantial amount of money invested in their hunting dogs.

Not only does the price of dog tags double on Feb. 1, but Brown said the penalty for having a dog with no tag can really take a bite out of the owner’s wallet.

“If you get caught without a dog license, it can be a $125 citation,” he said. “And that’s per dog, too.”

The good news, he said, is that dog tags are available until the Jan. 31 deadline at two locations in Highland County — Ventura’s Feed and Country Store on North West Street in Hillsboro and in Greenfield at Steven’s Hardware on Jefferson Street.

Dog owners can also purchase their tags any time throughout the year by visiting the Highland County Auditor’s Office, located on the first floor of the Administration Building on Governor Foraker Place in Hillsboro, or the dog pound on SR 124 east of Hillsboro.

“I also keep them with me in the truck,” he said. “That way, if a person for some reason never got around to getting them, we can take of it right there at their house.”

Highland County Dog Warden Cathy Seifer said another thing people don’t realize is the dog pound is a great place to adopt a new friend.

After a stray dog is picked up, the owner has 72 hours to search for the animal or call the dog pound, because after three days the dog becomes the property of the county, Seifer said.

“We work with a lot of dog rescues to find them a home,” she said. “We post their picture and information on the website and social media, and in this day where everybody is connected, somebody from someplace will show an interest in adoption.”

The adoption fee is $57, of which $12 is for tags, and the new dog owner receives a voucher that they can take to any Highland County veterinary clinic for $75 off spaying or neutering.

Payment can be made with cash, personal check or money order since the dog pound is not equipped to take credit or debit cards.

The Highland County dog pound is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.

One of the dogs at the Highland County Dog Pound needing a good home is Betsy, seen here with Dog Warden Cathy Seifer. Betsy is a 1-year-old boxer/pit bull mix that Seifer described as being great with children and other dogs and well behaved.
http://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/01/web1_Seifert-and-Betsy.jpgOne of the dogs at the Highland County Dog Pound needing a good home is Betsy, seen here with Dog Warden Cathy Seifer. Betsy is a 1-year-old boxer/pit bull mix that Seifer described as being great with children and other dogs and well behaved. Tim Colliver | The Times-Gazette
The $12 cost safeguards dog and the public

By Tim Colliver

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