Dogs play at Zeckenbark Dog Park in downtown Denver on Nov. 15, 2023. In town of Denver, a pet license is required for dogs and cats — however few adjust to the regulation. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Denver pet house owners are largely unaware — or select to disregard — town’s longstanding requirement that they buy an annual license for his or her companions, with a minority of canine and cat dad and mom complying with metropolis ordinance.
Dogs and cats should be licensed as soon as they’re at the very least six months old and inside 30 days of residing in Denver, in keeping with town rules. Because it’s a requirement, pet house owners in violation can obtain warnings and even fines, though that’s uncommon.
More than 9,500 pet house owners had obtained licenses in 2023 as of September, the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment stated.
That’s a slim proportion of town’s four-legged inhabitants, which Denver Parks and Recreation estimates at greater than 150,000 for dogs alone. That places Denver beneath the standard compliance fee for pet licensing nationally, which Lt. Josh Rolfe with Denver Animal Protection says is round 15-20% of animals in counties or cities that require licenses.
In neighboring Aurora, compliance can be low — estimated at about 9%, metropolis spokesman Michael Brannen stated.
Amy Keyes, 41, moved to Denver this yr from Buffalo, N.Y., the place she beforehand licensed her canine. Still, she had “no idea” about her new home’s license requirement for Rey, her three-year-old Australian Shepherd-Husky combine, she stated just lately whereas visiting Zeckenbark Dog Park at 601 Lincoln St.
She stated town might higher get the phrase out by partnering with house buildings to mandate the licenses, however “I honestly don’t understand what the need for it is,” Keyes stated. “I don’t think it’s necessary.”
But for Denverite Justin Pera, the license requirement ensures that his one-year-old Golden Retriever, Zelda, is secure to play with different pets which can be additionally neutered and vaccinated.
“I want all the dogs licensed in the city,” he stated.
Once Zelda reached the age when she may very well be spayed, Pera registered her with town, paying for a three-year license. “It’s really easy,” he added.
A one-year license prices $15, whereas a three-year license is $40. A license that spans the lifetime of the pet, with no expiration date, prices $150. Residents ages 65 and older can get hold of a three-year license totally free, as can service animal house owners.
“Most major cities and urban environments require pets to be licensed,” Rolfe stated. “It helps get a sense of how many animals are out in the community, and — to be completely honest — it’s also a revenue generator for the city.”
Last yr, greater than $362,000 in income went into Denver’s basic fund, which primarily operates Denver Animal Protection, DDPHE spokesperson Tammy Vigil stated.
The pet license ordinance has been on the books since at the very least 1995, although it could predate that yr, she stated.
The license advantages pet house owners by serving to them reunite with misplaced animals extra rapidly than occurs with normal pet microchips, Rolfe stated. Their tags embody a QR code that hyperlinks to a pet profile with the proprietor’s contact data, which he referred to as “a value-add to the pet owner.”
How to get a pet license
To get hold of the required license, the pet should be vaccinated towards rabies and spayed or neutered.
Denver pet house owners should purchase their licenses on the Denver Animal Shelter, 1241 Bayaud Ave., or on-line at PetInformation.com.
Notably, pit bull house owners can not license their pets on-line. They should go to town’s shelter to get each their license and a breed-restricted allow.
Pet house owners with out licenses will sometimes obtain warnings earlier than it progresses to citations, Rolfe stated. Within a 12-month interval, the primary violation is $75 and the second jumps to $100, with each subsequent violation fined at $200.
However, if the proprietor purchases a license inside 15 days of receiving a quotation, then the high-quality is waived totally.
Rolfe is attempting to unfold public consciousness and clear up any misconceptions. For occasion: “It’s a very common thing that people think that the rabies tag they get from their vet is the same as the city license,” Rolfe stated.
