The Chattanooga City Council changed the rules Tuesday to make it easier for dog and cat owners to get licenses, but the council is still considering limiting the number of dogs pet owners could keep in the city.
The change will allow licenses to run for roughly 12 months from the day they are purchased. Previously, the licenses expired on Dec. 31 of each year.
All dogs and cats over the age of 3 months must have a license, purchased for $10 per pet either from the city’s Animal Center or a licensed veterinarian. Those licenses must be purchased by the last day of the month in which the animal receives its rabies vaccination, according to the ordinance. The licenses are effective from 12 months from the purchase date or until the day the rabies vaccination expires, whichever comes first.
Chris AndersonIf a pet owner has a three-year rabies vaccination, the license must still be purchased annually. There also is a $40 extra license fee for any dog or cat that has not been spayed or neutered.
Councilmen Chris Anderson and Jerry Mitchell sponsored the resolution, saying they wanted to make it easier for pet owners to buy licenses.