Understanding Pet Licensing Requirements

WAITE PARK (WJON News) -- With the new year comes New Year's resolutions and other tasks, but many people often forget to renew one important item. Many cities require you to license your pet yearly, with the renewal deadline being January 1st. The City of Waite Park requires you to license both your dogs and cats.

Are there any benefits to licensing your pet?

Waite Park Police Department's Community Outreach Specialist Alicia Mages says the licensing has other benefits besides being the law:

"If your animal got loose, if it was unfortunately hit or anything like that, if they have their, if their licensed and they have that license on them, which they're supposed to, then we can reunite you with your animal."

Mages says the license can also help the humane society reunite owners with their pets, and it helps the city ensure owners are keeping up on their pets' vaccinations in case there would be a biting incident.

She says it is important to have the license on your pet's collar for those reasons as well, and it doesn't take long for someone to be considered the owner of an animal:

"Anybody who has a dog or cat for more than 10 consecutive days is deemed the animal owner, and then you have to license it, so in Waite Park, you're permitted to have two dogs, three cats, or a combination of the two, and if they're over 4 months old, then they have to be licensed."

Mages says some cities have gone away from licensing pets, but in Waite Park, you can be issued a citation if your pet is not licensed. The cost to renew your pet license in Waite Park is $10.

What are the pet licensing requirements for area cities?

See below for the pet licensing requirements for some area cities.

WAITE PARK: Dogs and cats require a license, and the cost is $10.

ST. CLOUD: Dogs over 6 months old require a license. License runs from June 1st to May 31st. Cost is $12 for neutered, and $29 for unaltered.

ST. JOSEPH: License not required, but dogs still need a form of identification on them and provide proof of vaccination upon request.

SAUK RAPIDS: A license is required for both dogs and cats. The annual fee is $5 for neutered and $12 for unaltered. The city has senior discounts and lifelong license options available as well.

SARTELL: As of 2020, the city no longer requires pets to be licensed.