We all know that a license is needed to drive. What some people are not aware of, however, is that your dog needs a license simply to live in your home.
It is required by law in the state of Connecticut and many other states as well that all dogs six months of age or older be licensed. In the town of Prospect, CT and most other states also, police officers go door to door to insure whether dog owners have licensed their dogs.
If it is found that a dog is unlicensed in the town of Watertown, for example, a verbal warning is given to the owner. Those conducting the inquiry, who are police officers from an animal control unit, or volunteers, then call the residence and come back with a written warning if the dog is still not licensed. After the written warning is issued, 48 hours are given to obtain a dog license before the owner will be required to pay a 75 dollar fine. A license is still needed however.
Licenses should be provided by the Town Clerk in any town in Connecticut. They cost $8 for already spayed or neutered dogs, and $19 for others. To procure a license, proof of a current rabies certificate and proof of neutering or spaying is required. This fee is paid directly to the town and is meant to pay for the animal control in that town.
Every year Officer Noreo Gabriel, Dog Warden of Prospect, says he goes door to door in the town to see if resident dog owners have licensed their dogs. “Most people usually comply,” Gabriel stated. The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects against unnecessary search and seizure. There must be a probable cause before a warrant may be obtained, a search be conducted, or persons or things can be taken.
When asked if anyone objected to the process by arguing their Fourth Amendment right, Gabriel said, “We don’t search, we inquire.” The inquiry is based on the results of searches from the previous years, as some people may have adopted a new dog since then, or an old dog may still need to be licensed, and they check up on this.
These searches are an unnecessary waste of time for the people involved. Officers or volunteers could simply call the place of residence to “inquire” as to whether the owners have licensed their dogs. Going door to door takes money and time that could be spent in more useful ways in the future.
It may be argued that it is necessary to insure that owners have licensed their dogs because it helps to return lost dogs to their owners. The license is a tag with a name and number to call, along with a unique identification number, to be worn on the dog’s collar.
However, it is a fact that dogs are required to wear rabies tags already, as proof that that are safe. These tags already have the name and number of a person to contact if the dog is lost, rendering the license unnecessary. Its only use is a fee to be paid to the town for animal control.

Photo Credit: http://dan.drydog.com/patsyann/pa-dog-license.jpg