Hello Town Clerks and Animal Control Officers,
This year the Legislature has approved two new categories for dog licensing, the Dangerous Dog Category and the Nuisance Dog Category.
If a dog is deemed a dangerous dog by the court after August 1, 2018, they will need to pay a $100.00 licensing fee and they will receive a special dog tag. The dog will need to be licensed every year, but will only be issued a new tag if the old tag is missing or damaged. If a dog was declared a dangerous dog by the court before August 1, 2018, the new law does not apply to them and they can still be registered with the regular dog tags. The breakdown for the fee is $98.00 to be placed in the Municipalities Animal Welfare Account, the licensing agent retains a $1.00 recording fee, and $1.00 will be sent to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to be deposited in the Animal Welfare Fund.
If a dog is declared a nuisance dog by the court after August 1, 2018 they will need to pay a $30 licensing fee. The nuisance dog get the regular dog tag. If the court determines that the dog is no longer a nuisance dog, the owner should bring you the court paperwork stating that they are no longer a nuisance and you can then license them with a regular dog license. The breakdown for the fee is $28.00 to be deposited in the Municipalities Animal Welfare Account, the licensing agent retains a $1.00 recording fee, and $1.00 will be sent to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to be deposited in the Animal Welfare Fund.
Currently, we are working on the process. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Animal Welfare Program at (207) 287- 3845.