PASADENA, CA (May 26, 2021) – Being a dog owner requires all sorts of responsibility. One that is often overlooked is registering your dog with your city government and getting him licensed.
I’ll be honest. Until I started working in the field of animal welfare, I never quite understood the point of having to license my dogs. It just seemed like this extra administrative task I couldn’t be bothered with, and another way for local governments to make money.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably wondered “what’s the point?”
As it turns out though, it’s actually really important to license your dog for a number of reasons. Let me tell you why.
For one thing, it’s the law.
In most states, it’s mandatory that dog owners have their pets licensed. If you get caught without a license, which can and does happen, you will be hit with a hefty fine. Dogs must have a renewed license each year, which must be displayed on them at all times.
A license helps if your dog gets lost.
A license tag helps animal control officers and shelters like mine quickly identify your dog and get him back to you safely. If your dog is found wandering the streets, a rescue organization can easily look up your dog via its license identifying number.
License cost is less than the fine.
If a city official finds your dog without a license, you can end up paying a fee of up to $250. Since the average cost of a spayed/neutered dog license is anywhere between $10-$20, it just makes good financial sense to be in compliance with the law.
Licensing proves your dog is safe.
A dog cannot be licensed unless it is properly vaccinated. Grooming salons and boarding facilities, for example, won’t provide services for your pet unless they have proof your dog is healthy and vaccinated. Having a licensing tag around their neck is the easiest notification so that you don’t have to carry around a bunch of vaccination records wherever you go.
License fees support many local animal shelters.
The annual fee that you pay to license your dog helps to keep shelters like Pasadena Humane running and supports the work of our animal control services. By paying to properly ID your dog, you are helping to feed and house stray dogs found on the streets within your city.
Is this shameless self promotion on my part? Of course it is! As we’ve established many times before, I have no shame when it comes to promoting the incredible life saving work that is done at Pasadena Humane for the animals of our community.
The support we get through our licensing programs helps to fund our lifesaving programs that have helped us to achieve and maintain an impressive 91.5% Live Release Rate.
And guess what? We just made licensing your pet a thousand times easier with our new online licensing program!
Pasadena Humane just launched a partnership with DocuPet, a world-leading pet profile, lost pet, and licensing platform. If you live in one of our licensing cities, you will now receive a complimentary lost pet service, along with colorful, unique designer ID tags linked to a secure online profile when you license your pets.
This simplified, online experience is especially welcomed as we navigate the pandemic. With our contactless license application and delivery through the online service, you have the option to conveniently upload required proof of vaccination and purchase your pet’s license from the comfort of your own home.
Every Pasadena Humane pet license now comes equipped with DocuPet’s HomeSafe 24/7 lost pet service, which is included at no extra cost. What does that mean?
Every license tag includes a unique code on the back that is linked to that pet’s secure online profile, making it easy for anyone who finds a lost pet to reference the unique code and create a Found Pet Report in seconds. Residents may also create a “Lost Pet Report” as soon as they realize their pet has gone missing via their online profiles. DocuPet’s dedicated dispatch staff is available 24/7 and has been able to reunite thousands of lost pets with their families through this valuable service. Talk about peace of mind!
Believe me when I say we are thrilled to make this process quicker, easier, and more valuable for our residents.
Through the new licensing process, residents have the option to select a generic Pasadena Humane-branded license tag at no additional charge (which is super cute, btw!), or may upgrade to one of DocuPet’s colorful designer tag styles for $15. I’ve already purchased three different styles of tags for my dogs because my inner fashionista simply cannot be contained to just one. They have a drawer full of collars and harnesses in a variety of colors and styles – and now they’ll have coordinating fashionable tags to go along with them!
I may be in the throes of a new addiction. Who are you to judge me!!!???
Each DocuPet tag, generic or designer, doubles as a pet’s official license in the cities that Pasadena Humane serves including Arcadia, Bradbury, La Cañada Flintridge, Monrovia, Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre and South Pasadena.
To celebrate the new partnership, we’re offering a $5 discount on their selection of over 180 colorful designer tags until June 30. To redeem, pet owners may enter the promo code PASADENA5 at checkout.
Pet owners can learn more, register and/or renew their pet licenses online at pasadenahumane.docupet.com. Licensing by mail, phone and in-person is also available.
What are you waiting for? Get online and start picking out some designer tags!