Ag chief urges dog owners to get licenses
CONNOQUENNESSING TWP — Forty dogs were under roof at the Butler County Humane Society Friday, when state Agriculture Secretary George Greig visited.
Most of those dogs, about 70 percent, were lost or strays.
“A dog license is your dog's ticket home,” said Greig, who in cooperation with Gov. Tom Corbett, is on a statewide tour promoting March as 'Dog Licensing Awareness Month.'
Greig offered a four-point platform as to why dog owners should get licenses: It's the law. It's the best way to get back a lost pet. License fees support animal control. And the cost of a license is less than the penalty for being caught without one, which can run up to $300.
Butler County Treasurer Diane Marburger called licenses “powerful and affordable” tools in locating a lost family pet. She said her office gets calls daily from people who find missing dogs.
The treasurer's office and the Helen Spaide Albig Adoption Center are among 12 locations in the county where residents can buy dog licenses. Dog owners also can buy them online or through the mail. Licenses cost $8.45 or $6.45 if the animal is spayed or neutered. Lifetime licenses are available for dogs that have permanent identification, like a microchip or tattoo.
Lynette Vybiral, humane society director, said within the last year the percentage of dogs returned to their owners has risen 50 percent, from 56 to 112.
She attributed social media, microchips and dog licenses for the uptick.
Grieg, who lives on a 650-acre farm in Crawford County, has a border collie named Max. The herder is a fifth generation to his family. “I've known my whole life why dogs are considered man's best friend,” Greig said.
