2003 dog licenses are due

FROM ROOSEVELT by Linda Schuster

   Why do dogs need a license? Sure, Scooby-Doo may take a spin at palming the wheel of the Mystery Mobile. And it may be true that I send my pet out on an errand to fill the tank of my van now and then. But if your pup does not own a pair of Cool-Ray sunglasses and a deep-red convertible, the question may have crossed your mind.
   January is the month to renew your pooch’s New Jersey dog license with the Borough of Roosevelt. The process is very simple, really. I got into my vehicle and drove over to the Borough Hall. Entering the office, I was greeted warmly by Krystyna Bieracka-Olejnik, RMC/CMC. She is the borough clerk. I asked her to tell me the reasons behind dog licensing.
   "State requirement," she stated plainly. "It’s a state law. The state needs to regulate that rabies vaccinations are kept up to date. Every month a report is filed with the state. It goes to the state of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services’ Infectious and Zoonotic Disease Program. The reason they do it every month is because people get new dogs."
   The cost of a New Jersey dog license is $8.20 for spayed and neutered canines and $11.20 for non-spayed/non-neutered animals. You will receive the 2003 license as well as an updated tag for your dog to wear. From that fee, $7 pays for the license itself. There is a $1 registration fee and 20 cents goes to the New Jersey Pilot Clinic Fund. The $3 difference for a non-spayed/non-neutered pet is allocated to New Jersey Pet Population Control.
   A late fee applies after Jan 31. Renewals in February are $1 extra. In March, the late fee is $3. In April, it’s $6 and in May, $10. Renewing in June or later will cost you an extra $15, which is more than the price of the actual license.
   "Dogs have to be licensed when they are seven month sold and vaccinated, of course, for rabies. So if you have a puppy three months old, you still have time," said Ms. Bieracka-Olejnik.
   Another item to be aware of, according to Ms. Bieracka-Olejnik, is that "if you are training a seeing-eye dog, then that dog has to be licensed. But there is no fee for that. If it is your seeing-eye dog, they still have to be licensed."
   Licenses can be obtained at the clerk’s office. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Or you can acquire one by mail. Please forward your check and your dog’s valid rabies certificate to P.O. Box 128, Roosevelt, NJ 08555.
   Ms. Bieracka-Olejnik stressed that if you own a dog, you are required to renew its license each year. It should be done in January. Last year there were 143 dogs in Roosevelt. So far only 36 have current licenses. Looking at my calendar, I see there remains another week or so left in the month. So if you haven’t already done so, you still have time to get your tail down there.
Linda Schuster is a freelance writer living in Roosevelt, who has renewed her dog’s license for 2003.