There are pet dog tags, and then there are kennel dog tags.
What makes the difference?
That is the message Holmes County Dog Warden Jonathan Beam hopes to convey as the new year approaches and the purchase of new dog tags hits high gear.
Beam said as Holmes County rolls into 2025, the discussion between those breeding animals and those having dogs as pets is very different, and each requires its own dog tag.
“Every dog has to have a tag,” Beam said. “Whether that tag is a kennel license tag or a pet tag is important. There is a lot of misconception about kennel licensing that we are hoping to address.”
He said while larger kennel operators understand kennel tags are a necessity, there are many smaller dog owners who might have questions concerning whether they should have kennel tags or pet tags.
Beam said it’s typical for dog owners with three females and a male to register their animals with pet tags, yet when they are asked if they are breeding the dogs, they respond they are only breeding them a couple times a year, so they register them with pet tags.
That is where the confusion arises.
“If you have dogs and are breeding them and selling the puppies, regardless of how many you have, you have to get a kennel license for your tags,” Beam said. “If that is the case, the regular tags no longer apply.”
Beam said what it boils down to is whether an owner is selling their dogs or not as to whether they need a kennel license or are fine with pet tags.
He said someone can have many dogs. If they are simply keeping all the offspring as pets, the pet tags are fine.
However, he said if someone had many dogs, it might actually save them money to register them as a kennel.
Pet tags are currently $17 per tag while a kennel license that would include each dog tag is $85, which includes up to five tags and an additional $1 for each additional dog tag required.
Thus, if a dog owner had eight dogs and was simply keeping them as pets, it would require an investment of $136 to purchase pet tags for each dog. However, should that person register as a kennel, the fee would only be the original $85, plus $1 per dog, which is significantly less.
“There have been times when people have actually saved money by purchasing a kennel license even though they aren’t breeding their dogs for sale,” Beam said.
However, Beam said the common misconception that has haunted the county in terms of purchasing dog licenses is the owners who only have a smaller number of dogs but are selling them, which would require them to purchase a dog kennel license and not pet licenses.
“We see that on a weekly basis,” Beam said. “There’s a belief that if they only have three dogs, they can get regular tags, but that isn’t the case if they are selling their dogs. That requires a kennel license.”
As the new year arrives, Beam said dog owners simply have to ask themselves one question: Are they planning on breeding their dogs and selling them?
Holmes County has experienced a massive boom in the growth of kennel licenses over the past decade. According to Beam, there were only 385 registered kennels in Holmes County in 2015. The dog warden’s office has done a great deal of work in communicating with dog owners throughout the county in recent years, and today there are over 1,200 kennels.
Anyone with questions about which types of tags are needed may call the dog warden’s office at 330-674-6301 or visit www.holmescountydogwarden.com.
Dog tags may be purchased at a number of locations throughout the county.
During the months of December and January, pet dog tags may be purchased at ACE Hardware in Millersburg, Wolfcreek Veterinary in Millersburg, Keim in Charm, East Holmes Veterinary Clinic in Berlin, Orme Hardware in Berlin, Keim in Mt. Hope, Farmerstown General Store, Becks Mills General Store, Buckeye Deli in Nashville, Killbuck Valley Market in Killbuck, Whitmer’s Pizza and General Store in Winesburg, and Harvey’s Market in Holmesville.
Regular dog licenses and kennel licenses may be purchased year round at the Holmes County Dog Warden’s Department, both in person and online, and the Holmes County Auditor’s Office. Regular tag applications and kennel license applications can be mailed to the Holmes County Auditor’s Office.
