70 percent of dogs are unlicensed

Goshen-People aren't the only ones to have a Census. In Goshen, dogs count too. For the past couple of weeks, animal control officer Laurene Sandstrom has been going door to door counting dogs in the village and town. It is proving to be a cumbersome project. Sandstrom said she is not finding many people at home during the day, for one thing. And when they are home, most residents with dogs, at least in the town, do not have licenses for them. In fact, about 70 percent of dog owners in the Town of Goshen are remiss, she said. Village of Goshen residents, on the other hand, are much more in compliance, with about 75 percent of dog owners providing licenses for their pets. Sandstrom believes this may be because people in the village live closer to town hall, where the licenses are issued. Or, it may be because people live so much more closely together in the village, they tend to know each other's dogs and feel the responsibility of licensing their own. People in the less densely populated town, where farms and large parcels prevail, may feel freer of regulations, Sandstrom said. She predicts that Goshen's dog enumeration, as it is called, will take months to compete. "Maybe people don't know they should have licenses for their dogs," she said. "Or maybe they don't care." Some people think an ID tag is enough, she said. But owners of unlicensed dogs will have to pay a fine if they ignore Sandstrom's first, verbal, warning. Getting a dog licensed during the enumeration means paying an extra 5, unless a dog is adopted during this time. The base fee is $5.50 for spayed or neutered dogs and $13.50 for dogs that have not been spayed or neutered. Of these amounts, the state gets $2.50 and $10.50, respectively, and Sandstrom gets $1. It's important to license dogs to keep track of the dangerous ones, Sandstrom said, and to insure that all dogs are vaccinated against rabies, which is an epidemic in this area. All dogs three months old or older must have proof of a rabies vaccination signed by a veterinarian. Some dogs are exempt from the fees, including guide dogs, war dogs, hearing dogs, police work dogs, service dogs, therapy dogs, and detection dogs. But proof is required, such as a training certificate, to show that the dog qualifies. Sandstrom will be manager of the new Goshen Human Society Shelter behind the town police station. In the meantime, look for her coming up your walk. And have your dog's license ready. For more information on getting dogs licensed, call the town clerk at 294-6250, or stop in at town hall, located at 41 Webster St. in the village.