License Your Pet

Do you recall a time in your childhood when you were lost in the grocery store or separated from your loved ones? Have you ever become disoriented while taking a hike in the woods? Imagine the fear and anxiety associated with being lost, and now imagine how frightening the experience must be for a pet that is lost or separated from their family and home.
 
Every year, nearly 5,000 stray animals are rescued and brought to Larimer Humane Society.  Nearly half of all of these animals are fortunately returned to their owners, and many of these reunions are made possible by a small silver tag on the animal’s collar known as a license. The number on a license tag is linked to information about where the pet lives and the owner’s contact information.  Using this information, an Animal Protection and Control officer can bring a pet right back to their home, sparing the animal the stress and potential danger of roaming around lost, facing hazards, or being brought to the Larimer Humane Society shelter.

A license can save your pet’s life by enabling their safe return home, but it also helps to protect animals and people in our community from rabies, a potentially fatal disease. In order to obtain a license tag for a pet, the owner must provide proof that the animal is up-to-date on their rabies vaccination. (For more information regarding required rabies vaccination as it pertains to the Fort Collins municipal code, please visit code section 4-51.)

Given the importance of licensing for both human and animal safety, all dogs and cats four months of age and older are required to have a license if residing in the City of Fort Collins. A chicken license is required for each flock of chickens (hens only).

Visit the licensing section of our website for information on how to purchase a license for your pet today.

As of January 1, 2012, the fee to purchase a new or renew an existing pet license fees is now:

• $12 - dogs and cats under 1 year or age (spayed/neutered or intact)

• $12 - dogs and cats over 1 year altered (spayed or neutered)

• $35 - dogs and cats over 1 year, not altered (intact - not spayed or neutered)

• $5 - owner over age 62; animal is either under 1 year, or is over 1 year and is altered

  Chicken license (Fort Collins only): $30.00. Applies to all chickens residing at the address; it is not required to license each individual chicken. Chicken licenses are valid for a lifetime and do not need to be renewed annually.  Except in those zone districts where the keeping of farm animals (as the term is defined in Section 5.1.2 of the Land Use Code) is allowed, the keeping of chicken roosters or more than six (6) chicken hens is prohibited.

Upon renewal, new tags will not be sent unless otherwise requested.
 
Thank you for continuing to be a responsible pet owner and keeping your animal(s) license current.

For more information regarding pet licensing as it pertains to the Fort Collins municipal code, please visit Division 2, Pet Licenses.

For more information regarding the keeping of chickens as it pertains the Fort Collins municipal code, please visit code section 4-117.