LaMarca Invites Residents to Properly License their Dogs as Adoptions Grow

With a large number of new adoptions taking place over the past year, Oyster Bay Town Clerk Richard LaMarca invites residents who have not done so already to utilize the Town Clerk’s Office to properly license their dog. In the Town of Oyster Bay, once a dog reaches four months of age, the owner is required by Town Code to obtain a dog license and verification tag. Licenses are valid for one year.

Town Clerk LaMarca stated, “With the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been reports of large increases in the adoption rates of pets for companionship, especially dogs. If you have recently adopted a dog, now is the time to license it to ensure its safety and identification in case it gets lost! Each year, hundreds of beloved family dogs are lost because these animals do not have identification tags and cannot be identified and returned to their owners. A dog license allows everyone to know your dog has a home, and also signals that your dog is up-to-date on its rabies shot. To put it simply: if you love your dog, license it! This simple act can only serve to protect our furry friends.”

Dog licenses are issued to dogs four months of age or older for a 12 month period. The license must be renewed annually, and in order to license your dog, dog owners must provide the following minimum information:

• Name, residence address and phone number of owner
• Name, sex, approximate age, breed, color, markings and other identifying details of the dog
• Provide certification of spaying or neutering
• Proof of a valid rabies vaccination

Town Clerk LaMarca noted that there is no fee for licensing any guide dog, hearing dog, service dog, war dog, detection dog, or police dog. Licenses are non-transferable and in the event of a change in ownership of any dog, all licenses must be updated within 10 days of such change. Licensed dogs must wear an identification tag, affixed to its collar, provided by the Town Clerks office at the time of licensing.

To obtain an application for a dog license, please visit the Town Clerk’s Office at Town Hall North in Oyster Bay or Town Hall South in Massapequa, or at the Town’s Animal Shelter, located at 150 Miller Place in Syosset. The license fee is $15 for an unneutered or unsprayed dog and $10 for a neutered or spayed dog. Fees for senior citizens are $5 with proof of age.

For more information on obtaining a license for your dog, please contact Town Clerk Richard LaMarca’s office at (516) 624-6324 or visit www.oysterbaytown.com.