How to License Your Dog

In order to license your dog, you will need to provide the proper paperwork from your dog’s veterinarian and the appropriate fee (see below).

Each dog license will be valid for one year from date of issue.  Each dog is assigned a permanent official identification number and issued a metal ID tag which is to be attached to your dog’s collar and worn at all times.

• Come in to our office during normal business hours

The Town Clerk’s Office is open Monday – Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. We are able to accept cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express cards for payment. Please note that there is a service fee of 2.4% or a minimum of $1.50 applied to all credit and debit card transactions. This fee is not charged nor collected by the Town of Henrietta, but the payment processor.

• Mail in your payment

For renewals, mail in the renewal postcard you received in the mail along with a check payable to the Town of Henrietta.  If our records indicate that your dog’s rabies vaccination has expired or is due to expire in less than 30 days, you will also need to include proof of updated rabies vaccination.

For new licenses, print out the  pdf New Dog License Application (17 KB) and mail it with your proof of valid rabies vaccination and spay/neuter certificate (if applicable).

Make your check payable to the "Town of Henrietta" and mail the appropriate paperwork to the following address:

Town of Henrietta
Attn:  Frank Ferraro
475 Calkins Road
Rochester, NY  14623

In order to pay for your dog license online, a valid rabies vaccination must be on file with the Town Clerk’s Office.  If the rabies vaccination has expired or is due to expire in less than 30 days, you can email proof of vaccination to the Town Clerk’s Office at townclerk@henrietta.org.  Upon receipt of payment, your updated dog license will be mailed to you.

Please note that there is a minimum $1.50 service fee for online payments.  This fee is not charged nor collected by the Town of Henrietta, but the payment processor.

Veterinarian Paperwork Required

RABIES VACCINATION

All dogs 4 months or older must have proof of a valid rabies vaccination showing the date of vaccination and whether it is a 1 year or 3 year vaccine OR a certificate from a licensed veterinarian stating why the life of the dog would be endangered by the vaccine. 

As a reminder, New York State law states that a license cannot be renewed if the rabies is due to expire in less than 30 days.

SPAY/NEUTUER (if applicable)

If the dog is spayed or neutered, a certificate from a licensed veterinarian must be presented at the time of licensing.  Spay/neuter is not required, however it does reduce the cost of the license.

License Fee

For your convenience, our office is able to license your dog for the length of the rabies vaccination on file (up to 3 years) – fees remain at $9.00/$18.00 per year.  Please note that dog license fees are NON-REFUNDABLE.

Dog Licensing Information

Why should I license my dog?

1. It’s the law
   New York State Agriculture & Markets Law, Article 7, requires that dogs in New York State be licensed and wear their dog license tag.
2. Easy identification
   When wearing a license tag, dogs are easier to identify, enabling them to be reunited with their owner faster.  A license is a lost dog’s ticket home.
3. Health / safety
   By requiring that a dog have valid rabies vaccination prior to licensing, a dog license helps to control and prevent the spread of rabies.
4. Dog Park
   All Monroe County Dog Parks, including the Henrietta Dog Park at Lookup Park, require a valid dog license and rabies vaccination.  For more information, please visit our Dog Park page.

  pdf Love Me? License Me! brochure (734 KB)

What dogs must be licensed?

EVERY dog owned or harbored in New York State for longer than 30 days must be licensed.  The ONLY license exceptions are as follows:

• Dogs under 4 months of age not running at large;
• If a non-resident brings a dog into New York State for less than 30 days and the dog is licensed according to the resident state’s licensing laws; and
• Dogs confined to the premises of any public or private hospital, research institution or a Class A Dealer with a certificate of exemption from the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets.

Notifications

Each dog owner will receive a reminder postcard and email notification one month prior to the month that the license expires. At the beginning of the month that the license expires there will be a second reminder by mail as well as an email notification. If the dog license has still not been renewed by the license expiration there will be an additional $5.00 late fee due and you will receive a “Final Notice of Delinquent Dog License” by both mail and email. This gives you 45 days to renew the license before you receive a court appearance ticket and $50.00 late fee.

Dog License Updates and Changes

If you have moved or if the dog is no longer a member of your household, please call us at 585-359-7038 or email us at townclerk@henrietta.org and we will adjust our records accordingly.

Should your dog wear their dog license tag?

When you hear the saying, “man’s best friend,” many people would smile and immediately think of their dog.  As most of us would agree, we do what we need to protect and care for our dogs.  One step in caring for our pets is licensing them, which is not only a State law, but also an indicator that the dog is up to date on the necessary rabies vaccination protecting them, other dogs, and the people around them.  Once you get the license, do you need to put that tag on the dog?  You did the paperwork; you are up to date, so why bother with putting the tag on?  Maybe you have a small dog, maybe your dog rarely goes out of the house. 

First and foremost, it is a State law that your dog actually wears the license tag, not just that the paperwork is completed.  The license is a visual sign to everyone that you are obeying the law and that your dog is not a danger since they must be up to date on their shots to have one.

The tag is also another level of protection for your dog.  We would all like to think that our dog will never run away or get out of the house, but it happens often.  It is unpredictable and, as they say, “better to be safe than sorry.”  If your dog ever does happen to get out, we want to be able to reunite you with your dog.  If you put the tag on your dog’s collar, we are able to check our database, call you, and return your dog home quickly.  If the dog has no license, we then have to board the dog.  In order to retrieve your dog, you then have to come to the Town and pay additional fees.  Therefore, not only does the tag save you the money it costs to retrieve your lost pet, but it also enables you to be reunited faster.

Another great reason to have the license tag on your dog at all times, is for the parks.  Henrietta opened a dog park in the summer of 2014 that is a part of the Monroe County dog park system.  While you do have to register for the park, the dog must also be licensed and legally should be wearing the license tag while you are in the park.

Long story short, having your dog wear the license at all times is safer for both your dog and for others around you.

Do I need a new dog tag?

The first time you apply for your dog’s yearly license, you will receive a permanent numbered steel tag that looks like a little fire hydrant.  This is your dog’s permanent tag while living in Henrietta and should be on the dog at all times.  Dog licenses are issued annually and are typically valid for one year from the issue date, however you may also choose to purchase a multiple year license valid for the length of the dog’s rabies vaccination (annual fees would remain the same).  When it is time to renew your dog’s license, you will be notified by mail and/or email by our office.  Upon renewal, many dog owners ask if they need a new license tag for their dog and the answer is no, you don’t.  The unique number on the steel tag originally issued is your dog’s permanent identification number.  If the originally issued dog tag gets lost or broken, we can issue you a new tag for $3.00.

Where do the fees go?

The $1.00 state surcharge fee included in your annual dog license goes directly to the Department of Agriculture and Markets and is transferred to the ASPCA who then gives out 100% of the money in grants for spay and neuter programs.

How many dogs are you allowed to have in Henrietta?

Per Henrietta Town Code §295-42(C), residents are not allowed more than three (3) dogs, unless they receive a Special Permit from the Henrietta Town Board.  To apply for a Special Permit, contact the Building & Fire Prevention Department at 585-359-7060 or email building@henrietta.org.

Rabies Clinics

Pursuant to the New York Public Health Law, county public health authorities must offer free clinics at least every four months for the rabies vaccination of dogs, as well as for cats and domesticated ferrets.  For more information on free rabies immunization clinics, visit the Monroe County Health Department’s webpage.

Lost Dogs

Per the Henrietta Town Code, any officer of Animal Control Officer of the town may seize any dog not on the owner’s premises or any unlicensed dog, whether or not on the owner’s premises.

What do I do if I’ve lost/found a dog?

If you have lost or found a dog there are certain steps to take to help ensure the dog is returned as quickly as possible.  The first thing you should do is call the Animal Control Officer at 585-359-7009.  If both the owner and the person who found the dog call Animal Control, the dog is returned to the owner promptly.  If the dog is wearing its license tag, Animal Control can look up the information in our dog licensing system and contact the owner immediately.  Since information about the dog cannot be given to anyone other than the owner, contacting Animal Control will save time.  Animal Control will also scan the lost dog for a microchip to aid in the identification of the dog owner.

Please refrain from posting photos and information on Facebook.  Often times when missing or found dogs are posted on Facebook the information is incorrect, incomplete, or the dog has already been returned to the owner by Animal Control.

If the dog does not have any identification or the owner cannot be contacted, the dog can be released once the Clerk’s Office has proof that the dog has a valid license, including proof of valid rabies vaccination, as well as payment of boarding and seizure fees.  Please note that the Town Clerk’s Office accepts only cash and card (Visa, MasterCard and Discover) for dog redemption fees – CHECKS ARE NOT ACCEPTED.

If you find a dog in a town other than Henrietta you need to contact the Animal Control Department in the town where the stray dog was found.  State law prohibits stray dogs from being processed in a town other than the one in which they were found.

Remember to always call your local

Animal Control Department FIRST!