Don't Forget to License Your Dog Before Jan. 31

Is there a pooch or two in your household? Then it’s time to buy 2013 dog licenses at one of many locations throughout Stark County, including four sites in North Canton.

Dog licenses cost $14 and are required for any dog over the age of three months. Ohio law requires licenses to be bought or renewed between Dec. 1 and Jan. 31 each year. A late fee equal to the cost of the license will be charged for applications received after Jan. 31, 2013.

The Stark County Auditor’s Office issues licenses for individual dogs and kennels, as well as for vendors and cigarettes. But it’s dog tags that comprise the largest number of licenses sold by the auditor’s office, according to its website.

Beth Tournay of the auditor’s office said 2013 license renewal forms were mailed and emailed out to dog owners last week.

“Licensing your dog offers the best protection for your pet to return home safely to you (should it get away),” Tournay said. “There’s a link on our website (click here) where, if you’ve found a lost dog, you enter a dog tag number, then we can locate that dog’s owner.”

Stark County residents can buy dog licenses at the auditor’s office, located in Suite 210 at 110 Central Plaza South in Canton, or at any of these North Canton locations:

• Discount Drug Mart at 1695N. Main St.
• Discount Drug Mart at 4925 Portage St. NW
• Plain Olde Hardware at 6548 Middlebranch Road NE
• North Canton License Bureau at 3187 Whitewood St. NW

Those vendors charge a 75-cent processing fee per license in addition to the $14 fee.

Click this link to view other locations throughout Stark County that sell dog licenses or call 330-451-7354.

Dog licenses also can be purchased online through the auditor’s office with a credit card by clicking this link. There is a 75-cent online registration fee for the financial transaction.

Kennel owners must renew their licenses during this same time either – but only at the auditor's office or at the Stark County Dog Warden’s Office, located at 1801 Mahoning Road NE in Canton, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Cost is $70 per license and includes five dog tags.

Service dogs must be licensed, but their fee is waived when certification of the dog’s training is provided. Once they are registered with the county, they are permanently licensed by receiving special tags.

If your dog has a Dangerous Dog designation, it must be registered per Ohio Revised Code. This is in addition to your annual registration.