Annual Dog License Information

  Dog Licensing

Dog Licenses

Every dog six (6) months or over must be licensed in the Town of Harwich. Dog licenses run on a calendar year cycle and are valid from January 1st through December 31st of the year they are issued.
 
The licensing period is from January 1st through January 31st. Beginning February 1st, a late fee of $25/dog is in effect, per Town of Harwich Bylaws (§26-2). Alternately, if you are a new resident in Town or the owner of a new dog, you have 30 days to license your dog without incurring a late fee. Our office will need documentation showing you are a new resident and/or that you are the new owner of the dog you seek to license. You must provide a copy of your dog's current rabies vaccination certificate(s). 
 
Cost 
  • Neutered/Spayed - $10.00
  • Intact (non-neutered/spayed) - $20.00
We accept cash or a check that can be made payable to the Town of Harwich. 
 
How to Obtain
You may obtain a dog license through one of the following ways:
  • You may mail in the following information to the Town Clerks office
    • Completed Dog License Reminder Form (can be found above) 
    • A current printed copy of your dogs' rabies vaccination certificate
    • A self-addressed stamped envelope
    • Cash or a check made payable to the Town of Harwich 

      OR
  • You may come in to our office any time from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm and register your dog(s) at our counter. 
Please note that four (4) or more dogs in the same household require a kennel license. To obtain a kennel license or for more information please contact our Animal Control Officer, Jennifer Harrington. 
 
 
The Town of Harwich Bylaws, Chapter 26, Section 2: Licenses and Tags.
A person residing in the Town of Harwich who, at the beginning of a license period, is or who, during a license period, becomes the owner or keeper of a dog six months old or older shall cause the dog to be licensed within 30 days. The Clerk of the Town shall issue dog licenses and tags on a form prescribed and furnished by the Town. Subject to the approval of the Board of Selectmen, the Town may permit licensing to be conducted through the mail.
(1) On the license form the Clerk shall record the name, address, and phone number of the owner or keeper of the dog, as well as the name and description of the dog and the license number. Each tag shall include the license number, the name of the Town and the year of issue.
(2) The owner or keeper of the dog shall cause the dog to wear around its neck or body a collar or harness to which the license tag shall be securely attached. In the event that any tag becomes lost, defaced, or destroyed, substitute tags shall be obtained by the owner or keeper from the Town Clerk at the cost of $5.
(3) The Town Clerk shall not issue a license for any dog unless the owner or keeper provides the Clerk with a veterinarian's certificate verifying that the dog is currently vaccinated against rabies.
(4) The fee for each dog license shall be determined annually by a committee of the Town Administrator, the Town Clerk, and the Animal Control Officer and approved by the Board of Selectmen. No fee shall be charged for a dog specially trained to lead the blind or serve a blind or deaf person upon presentation to the Town Clerk of a certificate of such training.
(5) The Clerk may collect a late fee of $25 for every dog license issued after the thirty-day period.
(6) License fees shall not be refunded because of the subsequent death, loss, transfer of ownership, spaying or neutering, or removal from Town of the dog.
B. Violations and penalties. Whoever, as owner or keeper of a dog, fails to license such dog within 30 days after a license period begins shall be subject to a fine of $25.