Luzerne County urges purchase of dog licenses, schedules licensing events with state lawmakers

Luzerne County is urging dog owners to buy or renew dog licenses and has scheduled three upcoming events with state representatives to help sell dog licenses.

State law requires all dogs to be licensed at the point of purchase or adoption, and enforcement efforts by state dog wardens will begin across Luzerne County in March. Dog owners can face fines up to $500 plus court costs for each unlicensed dog.

An annual dog license is $10.80. Lifetime licenses are available for $52.80 for dogs with a microchip or tattoo. Senior adults and people with disabilities receive discounted rates of $8.80 annually or $36.80 for a lifetime license.

A Permanent Identification Verification form, signed off by a licensed veterinarian or kennel, proving that the dog is in fact microchipped, must accompany all lifetime license applications.

License purchasing is available at padoglicense.com or in person at three locations — the county Licensing Department in the Penn Place Building, 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Wilkes-Barre; the county SPCA at 524 E. Main St. in Wilkes-Barre; and the Hazleton Animal Shelter at 101 N. Poplar St. in Hazleton.

The county is also teaming up with state representatives for three weekend “pop-up licensing events” to sell dog licenses on site:

10 a.m. to 1 p.m., March 7, at State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski’s office from at 1325 N. River St., Suite 106, Plains Twp.
9 a.m. to noon, March 14, at State Rep. Jamies Walsh’s office at 2825 Memorial Highway, Dallas.
9 a.m. to noon, May 19, State Rep. Breanda Pugh’s shredding event at the West Side Career and Technical School in Pringle.

Residents can walk in and walk out with their license that day. The Luzerne County Licensing Department will have someone on site to scan the dogs and fill out the permanent identification verification forms for the lifetime licenses. The department will only accept cash, checks or money orders at all three events.

The license application is simple and requires basic owner contact information and the dog’s name, age, breed, and color. A license is like a team badge — instantly visible on a dog’s collar and crucial for getting a lost pet home — and can reunite a dog with its family immediately — unlike a microchip, which requires special equipment to detect.

“Many times a week the county’s licensing department gets calls about a found dog from concerned citizens who just want to get the dogs back to their owners,” said Melony Jones, administrative assistant for the Luzerne County Licensing Department, said in a news release. “It feels great to be able to give them a name, address, or phone number to reconnect these pets with their owners. Unfortunately, there are instances that the dog isn’t wearing a tag, and we must advise them to take them to a local shelter in hopes that the owner will look for them there. That should not happen and dog owners should know their responsibilities.”