DERRY — Not registering your dog on time can be expensive and it might land you in court.
Many of Derry's dog owners have found this out the hard way by receiving notices from the town in the mail this month. It's not making people happy when they learn that the late fees can cost three and four times the normal registration costs.
Resident Linda Waites said it should have cost her $17.50 to register her two dogs, but instead she had to pay $73 this year, including late charges and fines.
Waites admits it's her own fault that she never remembered to register the two dogs, but said it would have been nice if they could have reminded her to pay.
"A simple postcard would have alleviated this problem," Waites said.
All residents with dogs older than four months are required by law to be registered by April 30. After May 31, the resident must pay a $25 fine and the price continues to go up $1 for each month after that.
Residents can also receive a summons to appear in court if the dog is not registered on time.
Waites said she was surprised to receive a summons in the mail earlier this month and that she was even more surprised that this was the first time she had been notified to renew her registration. Karen Diaz, who submitted a Letter to the Editor to the Derry News on Aug. 4, said she was upset when she received a similar letter.
Diaz said that a clerk told her reminders are not sent to dog owners and that she was told "you should know when your dog's license expires and how much to pay."
Animal Control Officer Marlene Bishop said the town is working on a way to send reminders to dog owners. She explained that the reason a program is not in place is because there are more than 4,000 dogs in town.
Bishop said she personally called dog owners to remind them, but it's difficult to get in touch with people when they change their telephone number or address.
"Every year, we have to call to remind them and some people still don't do it," Bishop said.
But Waites said she never received a phone call. At least six other people waiting in line at the town clerk's office on Monday, Aug. 4, said they never received a phone call, according to Waites.
The licensing program throughout the state is uniform, so veterinarians should help remind people to register their dogs when they administer rabies and vaccinations, Bishop said.
But Waites said she works three jobs and last year gave her dogs a rabies shot that was good for three years. Usually the annual trip to the vet would serve as a reminder, but Waites said this year, it was easier for the license renewal to slip her mind.
"I've never even gotten a speeding ticket, never mind go to court," Waites said.
