Answer Woman: Do dog owners in Asheville have to license their pets? What's the penalty?

Sarah Honosky, Asheville Citizen Times
·4 min read
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ASHEVILLE - Today's burning question is about a city ordinance that requires dog owners to license their pet each year. Got a question for Answer Man or Answer Woman? Email Executive Editor Karen Chávez at KChavez@citizentimes.com and your question could appear in an upcoming column.

Question: Are dog license fees still in effect and enforced in Buncombe? Despite having a dog for several years, it was only very recently that I heard about such license and fee requirements. In much of the counties and cities in North Carolina, registration coincides with rabies vaccination, and I am curious as to why this policy would still be effect when it does not appear to be a known policy to the county’s dog owners nor enforced.

Answer: The county does not have an annual license fee required of dog owners. But the city does.

Per city ordinance, all dogs in Asheville must be licensed every year on Jan. 1 for a whopping $10. If you didn't know about this, it would seem you're not alone.

City spokesperson Kim Miller said the city doesn't view it as a "punitive program."

Dogs interact at the affordable pet care clinic May 17, 2023.
Dogs interact at the affordable pet care clinic May 17, 2023.

"We're not out frisking Fido for a tag," she said. But licensing is "one of the best ways to ensure a lost pet can find its way home."

"When your pet displays a current license on his or her collar, Animal Control officers can easily determine if your pet has a current rabies vaccination, removing health and safety questions for residents," Miller said. "A current license also allows Animal Control agencies to quickly locate owner information and return a lost pet — saving you and your pet a trip to the shelter."

All dogs must have a city license by the age of 6 months. Licensing and re-licensing is done through an animal registration provider, PetData Inc.

How much money are dog licenses bringing in?

A quick look at license revenues, obtained by the Citizen Times via a public records request, seems suspiciously low, and dropping every year. The license fees are noted as a single line item in Animal Services' budget, which moved out from under the Asheville Police Department and into the Development Services Department in October 2020, as part of the city's reimagining public safety effort.

At $10 a dog, the $19,930 "license and permit, dogs" budget line would mean there are only 1,993 dogs for Asheville's nearly 95,000 residents, or 38,000 households. It seems low. Especially when any weekend visit to a brewery, like a sunny Sunday trip to Zillicoah, for example, will find three dogs per picnic table, as a general rule.

The American Veterinary Medical Association estimated 44.6% of U.S. households own dogs, according to 2022 data.

But as Miller noted, the ordinance is "something to take advantage of, not something to be in violation of."

License revenues, per fiscal year:

  • 2023: $19,930

  • 2022: $24,415

  • 2021: $28,870

  • 2020: $31,295

  • 2019: $30,905

  • 2018: $33,660

  • 2017: $35,968

The City of Asheville’s Animal Ordinance requires that dogs must be licensed every year on Jan. 1.
The City of Asheville’s Animal Ordinance requires that dogs must be licensed every year on Jan. 1.

What else do local ordinances require of pet owners?

The Buncombe County Animal Shelter has the Asheville City ordinance posted on its animal admitting door, said Asheville Humane Society spokesperson Mabel Lujan.

But she added, "since we are not enforcement, we do not handle anything having to do with dog licensing."

Buncombe County spokesperson Kassi Day said though the county does not require a yearly license fee, rabies vaccinations are required for dogs, cats and ferrets. Both Buncombe and Asheville have leash laws, requiring dogs to be on a leash and under control of the owner while in a county park or recreational facility.

Per Asheville's ordinance, the city license tag, and a current rabies tag, must be displayed on the dog at all times. In lieu of the civil penalty, a person cited under this section may register their dog with the city within 15 days of the issuance of the citation and the civil penalty will be voided.

Information about the licensing program, application links and the guiding ordinance is available on the city of Asheville homepage under the "services" tab. As animal control staff respond to service calls, they check for proper licensing of the animal in question or animals on a property, Miller said.

Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Answer Woman: Do dog owners in Asheville have to license their pets?