PENNSYLVANIA, USA — For the first time in over a quarter century, the dog license fee is increasing in Pennsylvania in an effort to protect the welfare of canines across the Commonwealth.
On Monday, Governor Josh Shapiro signed Bill 746 into law that would increase the annual dog license fee by $2.00 to $8.70 and the lifetime fee to $52.70 starting March 1. The increased fee will help the Department of Agriculture enforce the state’s dog law which includes dog retrieval, disease spread prevention, kennel inspections and other dog-related incidents.
"That small increase of a couple of dollars per dog license, [with] over 3 million dogs in Pennsylvania, could have a pretty big impact on the programs that the Department of Agriculture are responsible for," said Damon March, Humane Pennsylvania's director of operations.
In a press release, Agriculture Secretary Russel Redding said "Pennsylvanians have made it clear that they expect kennels, breeders, and shelters to be held to high standards. They want their communities to be safe from stray and dangerous dogs. They want owners to be held responsible when their dog attacks, and they want unscrupulous breeders to be shut down. The Shapiro Administration, working with both parties in the legislature, has made commonsense changes to the dog law to keep our communities, our families, and our dogs safe and healthy."
The hike comes after a growing number of dog wardens have shut down across Pennsylvania all while the state was among the worst for the number of problematic puppy breeders on the Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) 2023 Horrible Hundred Report.
"You need that dog law bureau and the local dog ordinance to have enough money to hire the right people, and to have enough people on staff to inspect those kennels," said Kathleen Summers, the director of outreach and research for the HSUS' campaign to end Puppy Mills. "Unless they have enough time and money to inspect them they’re not able to document what they need to do to get them shut down."
Measures in the updated law include:
- All dogs in Pennsylvania will now be required to be licensed at the time of purchase (legal at eight weeks), or by three months old, whichever comes first.
- Those selling or offering dogs for adoption will be required to provide a dog license application along with the dog.
- The fee for an annual dog license will increase to $8.70 on March 1, 2024, for all dogs. Licenses purchased between December 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024, will be available at the prior rate of $6.70 for spayed or neutered dogs, and $8.70 for others.
- Lifetime license fees will increase to $52.70 on March 1, 2024. Lifetime licenses purchased between December 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024, will be available at the prior rate of $31.70 for neutered animals, and $51.70 for others.
- The law enables the Sec. of Agriculture to increase fees again by $2 on December 1, 2025, and $1 on December 1, 2027.
- Fines for unlicensed dogs will range from $100 to $500, plus court costs.
- The criminal penalties for all other violations of the dog law have increased to $500 to $1,000 for summary offenses and $1,000 to $5,000 for misdemeanor offenses plus court costs.
- The annual registration for harboring a dangerous dog will increase from $500 to $1,000 for any dog deemed dangerous after 90 days.
- Owners of dogs already declared dangerous that attack again, will be required to find and pay a kennel to house the dog during court proceedings, to ensure the community remains safe until a final determination is made.
- License fees for kennels will increase on March 1, 2024.
- Kennels and shelters that offer dogs for sale or adoption must include their kennel license number in advertisements.
- Kennels selling or adopting dogs at retail to the public are responsible for disclosing breeder information, vaccination and medical documentation, and any known bite attacks on a human or a domestic animal.
- Dogs imported into PA kennels must be isolated for at least 14 days.
Despite the increase, Pennsylvania's new dog license fee is still lower than neighboring states including New Jersey's $21, New York's $16, and Maryland's $12.
"It [was] a long time coming," said March. "The neighboring states' dog license fees are much higher than they have been in Pennsylvania. Even higher than what the increased prices will be."
The HSUS adds it's a small payment increase that benefits the Commonwealth as well as you and your dog.
"It’s such a valuable benefit to the community, again you know even to contain potential disease outbreaks, potential dangerous animals," said Summers. "It’s really a win-win for everybody and I think most people will agree that it’s worth the modest cost."
The updated law passed both the Pennsylvania legislature with bipartisan support earlier this year.