City Eases Licensing Pain For Dog Owners

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Apr 9, 2009 6:00PM

Are you one of the thousands of dog owners in the city who shrug off purchasing the mandated city license for your pooch each year? Chances are, yes. The Sun-Times reports that of an estimated 500,000 dogs, the city sells less than 21,000 licenses. But now your list of excuses just got shorter as the city is - gasp - trying to make a process more convenient for people. City Clerk Miguel del Valle has instituted online registration for dogs in the hopes of boosting those low numbers. Per the Sun-Times:

For the first time, dog owners can purchase licenses online at www.ChiCityClerk.com. and get a sticker that fits on the back of a rabies tag. The sticker replaces the time-consuming process of using a manual crank to press expiration dates onto brass tags.

This month, the clerk's office is also sending out its first 5,000 renewal notices to Chicago dog owners who got rabies shots for their pets. The rolling notices will continue as rabies tags expire.

del Valle said in a statement [PDF], "As a responsible and caring pet owner, it is important to register your dog with the City of Chicago. My goal is to provide increased access to city government and to make applying for a dog license more convenient." Licenses for neutered dogs remains $5 while non-fixed dogs remains $50. Cruise on over to the registration website and register your pup today.