A Brattleboro dog named Milo reclines on his back as he displays his 2017 Vermont license tags, which must be obtained by Saturday. Photo by Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger
Municipal clerks, still recuperating from all the yipping and yapping of March town meeting, are trying new and novel means to whistle up attention for the state’s April 1 deadline for registering dogs.
South Burlington, for example, is promoting a “Top Dog Contest” in which the winner, selected at a City Council drawing open to all licensed pets, will receive tag No. 1 and a photo on the municipal website.
“I like to think we’re proactive,” City Clerk Donna Kinville said of the effort.
Local leaders say licenses help man and best friend alike by collecting addresses, phone numbers and proof of rabies vaccinations. But persuading animals and their owners to obey the rules is increasingly challenging, according to annual reports from communities statewide.
The Selectboard in Fletcher notes that last year was “eventful” for two reasons: “Safety issues relating to the cow crossing at the curve in Kinsley Road near Fred Fletcher’s farm” and “dog issues and more dog issues.”
The town has faced so many barking, biting, lost or found dogs, it not only is adding teeth to its local animal ordinance but also starting to deport “offending” pets.
In Middlesex, animal control officer Erika Holm is trying a kinder, gentler approach.
“Every day I’m reminded of why I love this community — I get to talk to people who care deeply about the animals in our town, even those animals wreaking havoc,” she writes in the town report.
Towns from Alburgh to Vernon see dog licenses as the first step to maintaining order.
“When dogs stray from home, for whatever reason, they often find their way to me,” writes Michelle Boyer, animal control officer for Corinth and Topsham. “When your dog is licensed with the town clerk, I can quickly find out who you are and return your best friend to you.”
If that’s not enough, a number of communities are offering extra incentives. Shelburne, like South Burlington, is holding its own “Pet Licensing Contest” with more than $500 in raffle prizes.
“Part of the reason is to entice and reward instead of punish,” Shelburne Town Clerk Diana Vachon said. “We’ve put out reminders in the paper and online and on a lawn sign at the dog park and a sandwich board on the green, but everyone waits until the last minute. Starting Tuesday, there will be a 50 percent late fee.”
The towns of Huntington and Starksboro are promoting their own smaller raffles, although each reported that only about half of its respective 500 dogs were registered with just days to go before the deadline.
“I don’t know the reason, but the majority of people wait until now, when we’re busiest,” Starksboro Town Clerk Cheryl Estey said. “Dog problems seem to be one of our biggest issues. A lot of people who live in the backcountry don’t like to have their dogs leashed — and that’s where the trouble starts.”
The Selectboard in Salisbury can relate.
“Numerous complaints have been received about dogs that bark at everything that moves and can always find something that is moving,” members write. “Tickets were issued this year and more may be issued in the future. Please pay attention to your dog.”
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