After hearing testimony today from City Clerk Susana Mendoza, the City Council Committee on Licensing and Consumer Protection voted to eliminate the $1 additional fee to purchase City Dog Registration online. Clerk Mendoza had proposed the legislation to eliminate this fee in April as part of her ongoing efforts to increase the number of dogs registered in the City and make it as easy as possible for dog owners to follow the mandatory requirement.

“When I visit with dog owners and ask them why their pet isn’t registered with the City many simply do not know it is required and, if they do, they don’t realize how easy it is. By eliminating the $1 surcharge I hope all dog owners stop and take a few minutes to register their dog on our new EZ Buy Dog Registration website,” said Clerk Mendoza.

Online City Dog Registration started in February 2009. Since then, about 41,000 dog registrations have been sold online, or 44 percent of all total dog registrations. An increasing number of dog owners are turning online to register their pets. So far in 2012 about 60 percent of dog registrations have been bought online. Active City Dog Registrations are up 122 percent compared to the same time last year, with 37,887 dogs currently registered with the city.

In April, Clerk Mendoza launched a new online Dog Registration website, EZ Buy. The purchase site, which also includes City Vehicle Stickers and Daily Residential Parking Permits, is easier to navigate, more intuitive and has step-by-step instructions to minimize purchase confusion. EZ Buy can be found at chicityclerk.com.

City dog registration helps reunite owners with their pet should the dog stray away from home. Dog registration also protects the public health as all dogs registered with the city must have a current rabies vaccination.

Chicago’s dog registration tag is a simple sticker that adheres to the back of the rabies vaccination tag. The sticker contains the unique dog registration number as well as the phone number for the City Clerk’s dog registration hotline, 312-744-DOGS (3647).

Dog registration is $5 for neutered or spayed dogs or $2.50 for sterilized dogs with a Chicago owner over age 65. Unsterilized dogs are $50 to register or $5 if the owner is age 65 or older. City dog registrations are available in 1 or 3 year increments, with the expiration date coinciding with the rabies expiration. Fines for not registering a dog range from $30 to $200.