Police this week cited a Silvermine Road resident for failure to license a dog, an infraction summons that carries a $75 fine.
State law requires that dogs be licensed—a process that requires proof of rabies vaccination—and renewal comes around each July. After making multiple phone calls and sending letters to dog owners encouraging them to renew the licenses, members of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section take the final step of traveling to the homes of those who had dogs licensed in the prior year to make inquiries about why licenses weren’t renewed, Officer Allyson Halm said.
“Unfortunately it has landed around the holidays, but we will be heading out the door and knocking on doors,” Halm said.
There are about 50 dogs on the “delinquent” list as of now, Halm said (the Silvermine dog is a Springer spaniel).
Justified reasons for not renewing a dog license include that the animal has passed away or family has moved, Halm said, and in those cases people are generally kind enough to inform the Animal Control section.
Halm is encouraging those who still have not renewed their dog’s license to do so as soon as possible. Here’s more information on how to do that.
“It’s one of those annoying errands that needs to get done, like emissions and car registration,” Halm said. “The state considers this a tax on owning a dog—dogs are viewed as property and can do damage or cause an accident—and this is their way of identifying specific animals.”