Auditor reminds Montgomery County dog owners of July 1 license deadline

Typically, January 31 is the deadline to purchase a dog license, but this year the state extended it through July 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Though about 260,000 Montgomery County dog owners took advantage of the extension, the county is still behind in license sales. Nearly 5,500 fewer licenses have been bought in-person this year compared to last June, according to the auditor’s office.

The county has seen a 3.6% drop in dog license sales due to low numbers of in-person purchases.

“We’ve seen a decrease in licenses bought in-person this year, as you would expect during the pandemic,” said Keith. “In turn, we’ve seen an increase in online license sales, but not nearly enough to fill the gap.”

So far, more than 57% of 2021 dog licenses have been purchased online at www.mcohio.org/dogs.

“This is the first year that more than half of licenses were bought online,” said Keith. “I’m glad our dog owners are taking advantage of the safe, fast and convenient option to buy their dog licenses from our website.”

The licensing fee is $20 for spayed or neutered dogs and $24 for dogs that have not been altered, although there are some exceptions. After the July 1 deadline, license prices double to $40 and $48, respectively. Licenses can be purchased in three ways:

All dogs older than 3 months of age must be licensed under Ohio law. Dog licenses help reunite owners with their pet if it goes missing because they can be used as a quick and accurate way of notifying the owner if a dog is found.

Proceeds from license sales go to the Animal Resource Center to help care for stray and lost animals until they can be adopted into a caring home. Dog owners can get a bone or heart-shaped tag by providing a small additional donation to the ARC.

Montgomery County residents can call 937-225-4314 or visit www.mcohio.org/dogs for more information on dog licensing.