Duane Hicks
With the new year just around the corner, the Town of Fort Frances’ bylaw enforcement department is reminding dog owners to renew licences for their furry friends, or if they aren’t licensed yet, get them one.
Bylaw enforcement officer Arlene Byrnes said that in accordance with Bylaw 12-79, annual licences are required for dogs residing in Fort Frances—and there’s a $75 fine if your dog is caught without one.
But just as importantly, the licence is a means of registering your canine’s information with the town, she added.
If your dog becomes lost or is at large, for example, bylaw enforcement officers can use the licence tag to trace the animal back to its owner and contact them.
“You never know when they’ll break the chain or break a leash, and they’re gone,” said Byrnes.
Dog licences have to be renewed annually, and now is the best time to get one.
For example, if someone buys a licence for 2009 right now, that licence is good until Dec. 31, 2009. But if they wait until the spring or summer, the licence still expires at the end of 2009—not 12 months after they buy it.
“It’s a great gift for the dog for Christmas,” noted Byrnes. “Lots of people do it. Put them under the tree for Christmas. They get a gift.”
Licences are required for dogs over six months of age, which are available at the Civic Centre. Licences for dogs that have been spayed or neutered cost $21; licences for those who haven’t been spayed/neutered cost $31.
While it came to light this past summer that relatively few dogs in Fort Frances are licensed, the bylaw enforcement department had a blitz, saw a “very good response,” and more and more people since have complied with the bylaw, said Byrnes.
She noted people who currently don’t have a licence for their pooches, even if they should have done so long ago, needn’t fear reprisal when they come in to get one for their four-legged companions as they are doing the right thing now.
“We’re not that mean,” chuckled Byrnes.
She also noted some people get confused between their dog’s rabies tag they get from the vet and the licence tag they get from the town, adding they are not the same thing.
Having the rabies tag does not mean you’re in compliance with the town bylaw.
