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UPDATE: Lakewood City Clerk's Office Assists Dog Licensing

To assist Jefferson County with the high volume of new dog license registrations. The City of Lakewood City Clerk's Office will be temporarily accepting new applications and administering dog licenses for Lakewood residents! Residents must bring in proof of current rabies vaccination and spay/neuter per dog. The fee for spayed/neutered dog is $15. Unaltered fee is $30. Make checks payable to Jefferson County Treasurer. Please call 303-987-7000 for more information.

Earlier news items follow

Mandatory Dog Licensing Takes Effect Countywide July 1
Program Helps Return Lost Pets, Enhances Public Safety

Beginning July 1, pet owners throughout Jefferson County and parts of Adams County will be required to license their dogs. The program, which has been in effect in unincorporated Jefferson County since 1994, will be expanded to all the municipalities, including Arvada, Golden, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge and Westminster.

Many other cities and counties throughout Colorado also require pet registration, including the City and County of Denver, Larimer County and Teller County. Licensing provides benefits that serve the community as a whole. Mandatory licensing can:

• Reduce the number of unwanted dogs by encouraging owners to spay and neuter dogs
• Ensure that dogs have their rabies shots
• Protect pet owners and their animals by tracking dangerous and aggressive dogs and habitual offenders of animal laws
• Return lost pets to their owners more quickly and increase the number of pets returned to their homes.

Fees are expected to increase from current rates of $7 for spayed/neutered or $25 for unaltered dogs to $15 for spayed/neutered or $30 for unaltered dogs as of July 15. Citizens are encouraged to take advantage of the lower fees now before the rate increases go into effect July 15.

A portion of the revenues generated by dog licensing will go to Table Mountain Animal Center's (TMAC) capital building fund to help construct a much-needed new facility. TMAC serves as a safe haven for lost animals impounded by animal control officers and for pets relinquished by their owners. It is also the animal adoption facility within Jefferson County for the entire Rocky Mountain Region. While TMAC receives the third-largest volume of animals of all shelters in Colorado, it has one of the smallest budgets of any major animal shelter in the state.

Requiring dogs to be licensed also expedites reuniting lost pets with owners. The database maintained by the County contains information on the owner and vet, important medical concerns, and can flag dangerous dogs. Dog tags can be traced around the clock by all participating jurisdictions, which will lead to fewer impounds as the animal control officer may be able to return the dog to the owner directly, eliminating the need to take the pet to the shelter. Fewer impounds at TMAC will save staff time and resources. Since 1994, when Jefferson County first adopted a dog registration ordinance, impounds have been reduced by 20% despite the increase in the County's population.

To get a dog license, pet owners in Jefferson County will be required to provide their name, address, phone number, emergency contact information and proof of a current rabies vaccination. Licenses must be renewed on an annual basis. Licensing forms are available online at http://animalcontrol.jeffco.us, at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Animal Control Division, Table Mountain Animal Center and through many Jefferson County veterinarians, pet stores and groomers. Completed forms should be mailed to Jefferson County Animal Control, 700 Jefferson County Parkway, #160, Golden, CO 80401.

For more detailed information about dog licensing, citizens are encouraged to call Lakewood Citizen Relations, 303-987-7050.