Licensing season hits in the Langleys
Canvassers will be going door to door to help people get tags for their canines
Mercy the dog modelled a wig recently at the Patti Dale Animal shelter in Aldergrove. The duds were donated by a pet store. Mercy's now been adopted.
Photograph by: LAPS photo , for Langley Advance
There are good reasons to get a dog licensed in Langley, but Sean Baker said the most important is to help reunite canines and owners.
In January, owners of already-licensed dogs renewed their tags with the Langley Animal Protection Society (LAPS).
Baker, who runs the Patti Dale Animal Shelter for the society, said with that big rush done, LAPS is now moving on to trying to let the owners of unlicensed dogs know that it's time to sign up.
That means LAPS hiring some door-to-door canvassers who will hit the streets of both Langley City and Township over the next few months.
Baker said the reasons to get a dog licence are many.
Some owners feel that getting their dog tattooed or microchipped by a vet ensures that they can get Rover back if he or she ever gets lost.
But vet offices are not always open on the weekend, and the information on a tattoo or microchip is not always up to date.
Baker said that there have been situations in which a dog is microchipped as a puppy, then lost at around age 10.
The owners have moved, and it becomes difficult to track them down.
Even if the address is up to date, a dog picked up just after a vet's office closes may not get back to his owners for a few days.
The dog licence database is updated yearly, and is available 24-7, Baker said. He's gotten calls about stray dogs from Langley RCMP officers in the middle of the night, and been able to direct them to the right house.
"Not that people shouldn't tattoo or microchip their dogs," Baker said. More ID is always helpful in tracking down a dog's owner.
Part of the cost of the licenses goes towards the expenses of running the animal shelter and feeding, and caring for the hundreds of dogs and cats that come through every year.
There are four canvassers hired now for the program, and two or three more could be hired in the coming weeks.
Canvassers work on seven month contracts and are compensated based on the number of dog tags they sell. To inquire about the job, email Baker at sean. baker@lapsbc.ca by Feb. 28 with a description of your experience and why you should have the job.
