(a) The owner of any dog reaching the age of four months shall immediately make application for a dog license. No license shall be required for any dog which is under the age of four months and which is not at large, or that is residing in a pound or shelter maintained by or under contract or agreement with the state or any county, city, town or village, duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, duly incorporated humane society or duly incorporated dog protective association. Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, a license shall be issued or renewed for a period of at least one year, provided, that no license shall be issued for a period expiring after the last day of the eleventh month following the expiration date of the current rabies certificate for the dog being licensed. All licenses shall expire on the last day of the last month of the period for which they are issued. In the event an applicant for a license presents, in lieu of a rabies certificate, a statement certified by a licensed veterinarian, as provided in subdivision two of this section, a license shall be issued or renewed for a period of one year from the date of said statement. Any municipality may establish a common renewal date for all such licenses. A license issued by a municipality that has established a common renewal date shall expire no later than the common renewal date prior to the expiration date of the rabies certificate for the dog being licensed.
Application for a dog license shall be made to the clerk of the town, city, or county or, in the counties of Nassau and Westchester, incorporated village in which the dog is harbored or to the village clerk of those villages in the county of Rockland with a population of fifteen thousand or more which have elected to accept applications pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph or to the village clerk of the village of Newark in the county of Wayne upon the election of the village of Newark pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph. Provided, however, that in the counties of Nassau and Westchester, the board of trustees of any incorporated village may by resolution provide that applications for licenses shall no longer be made to the village clerk, but to the clerk of the town in which the village is situated. Provided further, however, that in the county of Rockland, the board of trustees of any incorporated village with a population of fifteen thousand or more may by resolution provide that application for licenses shall be made to the village clerk. Provided further, however, that in the county of Wayne, the board of trustees of the village of Newark may by resolution provide that application for licenses shall be made to the village clerk. Provided further, however, that in the county of Montgomery, the board of trustees of the village of St. Johnsville may by resolution provide that application for licenses shall be made to the village clerk. The governing body of any town or city or, in the counties of Nassau and Westchester, incorporated village or in the county of Rockland, those villages with a population of fifteen thousand or more which have so elected to accept applications, in the county of Wayne, the village of Newark if such village has so elected to accept applications or, in the county of Montgomery, the village of St. Johnsville if such village has so elected to accept applications may, on resolution of such body, authorize that such application be made to one or more named dog control officers of any such town, city or village. The issuance of any license by any such officer shall be under the control and supervision of the clerk. In the case of a seized dog being redeemed or a dog being otherwise obtained from a county animal shelter or pound, such application may be made to the county dog control officer in charge of such facility. In the case of a dog being redeemed or a dog being adopted from a shelter or pound established, maintained or contracted for, pursuant to § 114 (Pounds and shelters)section one hundred fourteen of this article, such application may be made to the manager of such facility, provided such manager has been authorized by the municipality in which the prospective owner resides to accept such application. Such authorization shall be requested by the governing body of the pound or shelter and the granting or denial of such authorization shall be in the discretion of the municipality in which the prospective owner resides.
The application shall state the sex, actual or approximate age, breed, color, and municipal identification number of the dog, and other identification marks, if any, and the name, address, telephone number, county and town, city or village of residence of the owner. Municipalities may also require additional information on such application as deemed appropriate.
The application shall be accompanied by the license fee prescribed by § 110 (License fees)section one hundred ten of this article and a certificate of rabies vaccination or statement in lieu thereof, as required by subdivision two of this section. In the case of a spayed or neutered dog, every application shall also be accompanied by a certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian or an affidavit signed by the owner, showing that the dog has been spayed or neutered, provided such certificate or affidavit shall not be required if the same is already on file with the clerk or authorized dog control officer. In lieu of the spay or neuter certificate an owner may present a statement certified by a licensed veterinarian stating that he has examined the dog and found that because of old age or other reason, the life of the dog would be endangered by spaying or neutering. In such case, the license fee for the dog shall be the same as for a spayed or neutered dog as set forth in subdivision one of § 110 (License fees)section one hundred ten of this article.
Upon validation by the clerk, authorized dog control officer or authorized pound or shelter manager, the application shall become a license for the dog described therein.
retain a record of the license that shall be made available upon request to the commissioner for purposes of rabies and other animal disease control efforts and actions. In addition, the authorized pound or shelter manager shall send, within forty-eight hours of validation, a copy of the license to the licensing municipality within which the dog is to be harbored.
No license shall be transferable. Upon the transfer of ownership of any dog, the new owner shall immediately make application for a license for such dog.
Notwithstanding the provisions of any general, special or local law, or any rule or regulation to the contrary, the clerk, authorized dog control officer or authorized pound or shelter manager in municipalities having a population of less than one hundred thousand shall within five business days after the license has been validated, send a copy of the validated license to the licensing municipality in which the dog is to be harbored.
The clerk, authorized dog control officer or authorized pound or shelter manager, at the time of issuing any license pursuant to this article, shall require the applicant to present a statement certified by a licensed veterinarian showing that the dog or dogs have been vaccinated to prevent rabies or, in lieu thereof, a statement certified by a licensed veterinarian stating that because of old age or another reason, the life of the dog or dogs would be endangered by the administration of vaccine. The clerk, authorized dog control officer or authorized pound or shelter manager shall make or cause to be made from such statement a record of such information and shall file such record with a copy of the license. Such records shall be made available to the commissioner upon request for rabies and other animal disease control efforts.
Municipalities may provide for the establishment and issuance of purebred licenses and, in the event they do so, shall provide for the assessment of a surcharge of at least three dollars for the purposes of carrying out animal population control efforts as provided in § 117-A (Animal population control program)section one hundred seventeen-a of this article. Municipalities which issue purebred licenses shall remit such surcharge collected to the commissioner.