To all dog owners in the Town of Milford
This informational letter is going to all dog owners in the town of Milford concerning licensing requirements as mandated by the state of New York. I hope that this will bring all dog owners up to speed as to the regulations that exist regarding dogs.
First of all, New York State mandates that all dogs are to be licensed. Licensing used to be through the department of agriculture and markets. Now, New York state has placed that responsibility on the individual town and specifically me, your town clerk.
Licensing is a yearly event and I will automatically send out renewal notices during the month the renewal is due. Currently the cost for spayed/neutered dogs is $6.50 and for unspayed/un-neutered $14.50. The costs are necessary to pay the New York state surcharge per license, cost of the license tag, cost of materials and postage.
The town requires that all dogs at least 6 months old be registered even if they are confined indoors.
Registration also helps us find lost animals. None of us wants their animals lost. Every year dogs are found running loose in the town and brought to the shelter with no identification. Sometimes we are lucky and find the owner or find someone willing to adopt them. Some are not so lucky and are euthanized.
A current rabies certificate is also required. This is very important from a health standpoint, mostly for your dog, but also important for other animals and for all residents. Rabies is an extremely infectious viral disease that is easily transmitted by the bite of an infected animal.
Untreated, death is slow and painful, characterized by choking, convulsions and the inability to drink fluids.
A person bitten by an unvaccinated pet (cats and domesticated ferrets should also be vaccinated) faces the possibility of a painful series of shots should your pet test positive for rabies. Under New York state law, your unvaccinated animal, should it bite or scratch someone, will be confined for 10 days at a facility at your expense. Also, if your unvaccinated pet is exposed to a rabid or suspected rabid animal, according to the law, it will be euthanized or quarantined for 6 months at the owners expense.
I am sure none of us want to expose our pets to the possibilty of contracting that disease much less its transmittal to other animals or humans. Even pets confined indoors must be vaccinated by law. Registration of your dog is then a positive way to ensure the safety of all, both animals and human, from this disease. Otsego county continues to have incidents of animals which have contracted rabies; two of the cases were domestic cats. Otsego county provides free rabies vaccination clinics for all pet dogs, cats and ferrets. Copies of the clinics times and locations are posted at the town hall and the post offices in milford, portlandville and colliersville. You can call the otsego county department of health at 547-4230.
So please help me and the town continue the service to our dogs and to the community by registering our dogs. It is the law but more than that it is our responsibilty to our best friends.
Milford town clerk
