It's dog licensing month in the Town of Okotoks.

As part of the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw 18-08, all dogs in Okotoks over three months old must be licensed. 

If a furry family member escapes or gets lost a dog license allows municipal enforcement to return the dog to its rightful owners in a more timely manner.

Tim Stobbs, municipal enforcement manager with the Town, says it can be an emotional experience for the family and potentially a physically harmful one for an animal if they get loose.

"I think most people that have dogs treat them like a member of their family and it causes a family to be distraught when a dog goes missing," he says. "If dogs are out of their yard or out of the house they are at risk of being hit by a car or injured in some other way."

Stobbs says the use of technology can assist with dog licenses as well.

"If you ask any of the people that have had their dogs returned home in a timely manner it has relieved the stress of having the dogs missing," he says. "There's also an added benefit on the Town website as we have the ability to look up a dog tag and you don't even have to include us in the loop you can actually return a dog to the owner yourself just by looking it up on the website."

A license for a spayed or neutered dog costs $25, and for an unaltered animal the cost is $100. Seeing-eye and guide dogs are exempt from license fees.

Licensing can be purchased at the municipal centre or through online banking.

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