Did you know pets require licenses in Charlotte? Annual reminder confuses residents

CHARLOTTE ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — They’re cute and fluffy, but did you know your furry little friend needs a license?

“I did not know that. That’s kind of crazy.” Norah Chrisley is one of many dog owners who are unaware that they need to pay for their pooch to be registered with the county.

Every year, CMPD Animal Care & Control contracts with a company out of Texas called Pet Data to send this mailer reminding residents of the annual fee. And every year, they get calls from people thinking it’s a scam.

“I can understand why people get confused, especially with all the new people that are moving into Mecklenburg County,” said Animal Care and Control Communications manager Melissa Knicely. “ They probably don’t even know that it’s required to have your pet licensed.”

It’s been a company they have partnered with for more than two decades, and despite the annual wave of confusion, they’re quite happy with contracting out the operation.

“To do contracts if you’re going out to bid you have to look at multiple organizations,” she said. “Well, back then, they were one of the only companies who did it.”

This isn’t the same thing as getting your mutt microchipped, although the dog does get a QR code it can wear on its collar. The licensing fee is $10 a year or $25 for three years. To renew, pet owners need to show their animal is up-to-date on its rabies vaccine.

Senior Veterinary Assistant at Urgent Vet, Shelby Schneider, says they see a lot of unregistered pets in their office.

“There are a lot of pets that I probably don’t think are registered, and I know that some don’t have rabies vaccines,” Schneider said.

It’s also a revenue stream for Animal Care. The service costs $180,000. Last year, it brought in more than half a million dollars, with almost $30K in donations.

“It’s not like we go door to door going,  ‘Hey, Morgan, let’s see your license,’ you know, or anything like that,” Knicely said. “We don’t have the manpower to do that.  It’s more when we have an actual call for service for something else.”

If your lab does get loose, however, and Animal Care has to come to save the day, you could face a citation for not having one.

“Pretty much anywhere you’re getting your animals, these days, they usually leave with a chip, but they don’t necessarily leave with a pet license,” Knicely said.

For more information on the pet license requirements, CLICK HERE .

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