It’s December. That means it’s time to buy your beloved pooch a 2018 dog license from Clermont County.

Dog owners can purchase tags now through Jan. 31, 2018, with no penalty.

Annual licenses cost $16 each; three year licenses can be purchased for $48, and permanent licenses for $160. Kennel licenses can be purchased for $80, which includes five tags, with $1 for each additional tag. Licenses bought after Jan. 31 are charged a $16 late fee.

Under Ohio law, dogs must be licensed each year. “If a lost dog has its tag, it’s easy to find the owner,” said David Uible, President of the Clermont County Commissioners. “But if it does not have a license, it makes it very hard for the county animal shelter to find the owner. And frankly, that’s not fair to the dog.”

If a dog is untagged, the animal shelter will keep it for 72 hours; the dog is then made available for adoption, fostering or rescue. As of August 2017, Clermont to the Rescue Humane Society, which operates the county animal shelter, reported that 249 strays came into the shelter.

In 2017, Clermont County licensed 17,452 dogs and 20 kennels. It collected approximately $315,000 in license fees, which go to support the county’s animal shelter.

Dog owners can buy their licenses at the Auditor’s Office, Clermont County Administration Building, 101 E. Main St., Batavia, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Licenses are also available through these vendors:

Ace Hardware
675 Loveland Madeira Road Loveland, Ohio 45140. (513) 583-1415

Animal Rescue Fund
85 Lucy Run Rd Amelia, Ohio 45102. (513) 753-9252

Auditor’s Office
101 E Main St Batavia, OH 45103. (513) 732-7150

Beck’s Hardware
1798 State Route 28 Goshen, Ohio 45122. (513) 722-2000

Bethel Feed & Supply
528 W. Plane Street Bethel, Ohio 45106. (513) 734-2246

Clermont to the Rescue Humane Society
4025 Filager Road Batavia, OH 45103. (513) 732-8854

EADS Fence Company
131 Broadway Loveland, Ohio 45140. (513)677-4040

Kennel Resorts
5825 Meadowview Drive Milford, Ohio 45150. (513) 831-7297

League for Animal Welfare
4193 Taylor Road Batavia, Ohio 45103. (513) 735-2299

Lifetime Pet Center of New Richmond
1044-A Old US 52 New Richmond, Ohio 45157. (513) 553-9954

TailWaggers Doggy Daycare
4528 Aicholtz Rd Cincinnati, OH 45245. (513)843-4340

More information can be found on the Auditor’s website.

#LoveYourDog
#LicenseYourDog