Animal Licenses Available Beginning January 2!
By Holly Rees, City Clerk
It’s the time of year again to register your cat or dog with the city. Who needs to be registered? Any dog or cat 6 months of age or older. Why should they be registered? To ensure that every dog and cat has had the necessary vaccinations to protect the citizens of South Burlington. As per state law (VSA Title 20, Section 3581), all owners of dogs are required to be licensed with the city clerk prior to April 1st of each year. All dogs registered after April 1st are assessed a late fee. The city council added an ordinance in 1998 that included cats to the list of animals to be registered in South Burlington.
The 2024 Dog and Cat Licenses will be ready to be received and processed by the Clerk’s office on January 2. Why do it now when I have until April 1st? Registering your dog or cat now means that you will get a lower tag number (some people like that) and it means that you won’t have to think about it again this year or worry about late fees. Once you are registered, there will be no further emails to remind you to register your pet. Our office will also be very busy with elections and tax payments, so wait times could be longer when coming into the clerk’s office during February and early March.
How to register your pet? You can come into the Clerk’s office, mail in the check with the rabies certificate, or pay online with a credit card (processing fees apply). Please visit the Clerk’s webpage to learn more. Please note that if you pay with a debit or credit card, processing fees will be applied. For a “fixed” dog registration, the fee would be $25.00 registration fee (goes to City) plus the processing fee of $1.53 (goes to processing company) for a total amount payment of $26.53.
We will also be running our Top Dog and First Feline contest again this year. Who will it be? It could be your dog or cat! How do you enter the contest? It is quite simple—just register your favorite furry friend on or before April 1st, and they are automatically entered to win. If you have any questions, please reach out to the City Clerk’s office at 802-846-4105.
December 26, 2023