Belmont County Auditor Selects Contractor for Online Dog Licenses
The Belmont County Auditor’s Office has selected a new contractor, DocuPet, for online dog licensing, in an effort to modernize the process and improve efficiency.
DocuPet, which is based in Canada with its main U.S. office in New York, offers features such as personalized dog tags, microchip tracking and digital recordkeeping.
The office previously contracted with Fairfield Computer Services, LLC through OnlineDogLicensing.com but decided to make the switch after concluding the system was outdated, chief deputy auditor Carly Stephen said.
The change is expected to save both dog owners and the county money. Under the previous system, the online processing fee was approximately $2, compared to 71 cents with DocuPet.
Stephen officials said the decision followed discussions at statewide auditor conferences, where rising postage costs associated with mailing dog licenses were a frequent concern. While the new software costs more upfront, Stephen said the county expects to see significant savings by reducing postage and staff time.
Under the previous system, the auditor’s office printed approximately 8,000 dog license applications each year. Auditor’s office employees folded, stuffed and mailed the applications to dog owners. Once completed, the applications were returned to the auditor’s office, where staff processed payments and prepared license tags. Because the envelopes contained metal tags, they could not be run through standard U.S. Postal Service sorting machines and instead had to be hand-stamped by auditor’s office staff. After processing, employees delivered the tags to USPS who mailed to owners, making the process time-and labor-intensive.
With the new system, dog owners can apply online or through a mobile app. DocuPet handles digital notifications and mails license tags directly to owners. Dog license records and revenue will still be processed through the Belmont County Auditor’s Office.
“With DocuPet, it’s very user-friendly,” Stephen said.
Dog licenses are required for all dogs in Belmont County, Stephen said. The auditor’s office offers one-year, three-year and permanent licenses. Owners are required to purchase a new tag once a license expires.
Dog licenses are sold from Dec. 1 through Jan. 31. A one-year license costs $14, a three-year license costs $42 and a permanent license costs $140. Late fees of $28 for a one-year license and $58 for a three-year license apply after the deadline.
Dog owners may still apply in person at the auditor’s office, located at 101 W. Main St. in St. Clairsville. The office accepts cash, checks and credit cards.
“If you do not want to put your credit card information online, we totally understand,” Stephen said. “We did not shut down any of the old ways of purchasing dog licenses. ”
More information is available on the Belmont County Auditor’s website.
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