"License and vaccination, please"
By: Nick Norlen
License and vaccination, please.
That’s what pets will be hearing in West Windsor Township’s 2007 dog and cat census under way through Sept. 1.
As mandated every two years by state statutes, township health department workers will be walking door to door on Saturdays for the next two months to identify unlicensed dogs and cats to ensure they receive required rabies vaccinations.
Residents must license their dogs and cats within 10 days of establishing residency within the township, and dogs and cats over the age of seven months must receive rabies vaccinations, which must be valid through Nov. 1, 2007 for dogs and Feb. 1, 2008 for cats.
Environmental Health Manager Jill Swanson said the main point of the licensing program is rabies control and prevention.
According to the township, bats, raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, foxes, cats and dogs all animals found in the township represent approximately 95 percent of animals diagnosed with rabies in the country.
Ms. Swanson said first-time rabies shots are good for a year, and updates typically last three years.
Making sure that vaccinations are up to date is beneficial to both pets and owners, she said.
"Licensing also helps if an animal gets out or is loose. We can return it to its owner," she said, noting that the township has a database with pets’ identifying features and home addresses. "Sometimes that helps the dog from ending up at the shelter if we can pinpoint where it belongs."
Ms. Swanson said the township has hired four summer interns to visit township households and provide licensing applications and information to residents with unlicensed pets.
Although she said it will be a daunting task, Ms. Swanson said the workers will avoid houses on the township’s list of those who have already licensed their pets, but will record where they observe pets dogs barking inside or cats sitting in the window.
She said the last census was completed in 2004.
"We’re starting in the new sections of town and working our way out from there," she said, noting that the census will focus on reaching new residents who aren’t aware of the licensing requirements and people that haven’t had a chance to fill out an application.
Ms. Swanson said she expects most people to cooperate with the licensing requirements.
She said most come in voluntarily, some have to be issued reminder letters, and a small handful are issued violations which come in the form of a summons from the animal control officer.
Questions regarding rabies prevention, pet licensing and the census can be directed to the West Windsor Township Health Department at (609) 936-8400.

