Headlines

Some Cities Are Dropping Pet Licensing Requirements ⁠— Here’s Why

License tags may be becoming obsolete.

Published

5 years ago

September 16, 2019

PETS+ Staff

Cary, NC, just dropped its licensing requirements for dogs and cats as more people get their pets microchipped.

Compliance with the requirements was low — officials estimate that only 5 percent of the pets that animal control had contact with each year were licensed, the News & Observer reports. By contrast, 75 were microchipped.

And the licensing program was costing more money than it brought in. About 900 license tags were issued each year, generating $10,000 in revenue.

Rabies tags are still required by state law.

Cary is just one of several communities in the Triangle region of North Carolina that have discontinued such requirements, the News & Observer reports.

Raleigh dropped the requirements seven years ago, and Durham County did the same in 2013. Wake County also does not require licensing.

A number of other communities across the U.S. have also dropped their requirements, including Richland, WA, in June.

P.L.A.Y. Media Spotlight

At P.L.A.Y. — Pet Lifestyle & You — toy design is definitely a team effort! Watch PETS+ interviewer Chloe DiVita and P.L.A.Y.’s Director of Sales Lisa Hisamune as they talk about the toy design process, the fine-tuning that makes each toy so special and why every P.L.A.Y. collection is made with independent retailers top of mind.