Beginning Tuesday, Dec. 1, applications for 2021 dog registrations may be filed, according to Wood County Auditor Matthew Oestreich.
Ohio law requires that before Jan. 31 of each year all dogs 3 months of ages or older should be registered in the county where the dog is kept. The information necessary for registration is age, sex, spayed or neutered, color, length of hair, breed of the dog and the name, address and phone number of the owner.
A registration fee of $14 must be paid with the application for each dog registered. As a convenience, the auditor’s office mails renewal registration forms to owners of record. Owners who registered in 2020 through the internet will receive an emailed reminder.
Dogs may be registered for a one-year term, three-year term, or a permanent license for the dog’s life. When completing the application, owners choose the term. Fees are $14 for a one-year license, $42 for a three-year license, and $140 for a permanent license. No refunds are permitted.
Every owner of a kennel of dogs is also required to register annually with the county auditor by Jan. 31, and must pay an application fee of $70.
Ohio law provides that the penalty for not registering dogs after Jan. 31 is the amount equal to the registration fee for each type of license.
People acquiring dogs after Jan. 31 have 30 days after the date of acquisition or the date that the dog reaches three months of age to register with the auditor’s office.
The preferred method of renewal due to the coronavirus is by mail or online.
When mailing the application, include the license fee, dog information (as stated above), and a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of the license. The mailing address is Matthew Oestreich, Wood County Auditor, One Courthouse Square, P.O. Box 368, Bowling Green, OH 43402.
If necessary, licenses can be purchased in person at the Wood County Auditor’s Office, on the second floor of the county office building, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or at the Wood County Dog Shelter.
Internet applications can be made at auditor.co.wood.oh.us and require an additional $2.15 processing fee per license, which goes to the online firm processing the credit card purchase.
Do not send cash with a mail-in application. Anyone with questions about dog licenses may call the auditor’s office at 419-354-9150.
The Wood County Board of Health has adopted a regulation requiring that all dogs be immunized against rabies.
