AUGUSTA — Gov. Janet Mills has signed Executive Order 29 FY 20/21, allowing dog owners extra time to license their pets. Owners now have until June 2 to renew overdue dog licenses. Licenses are available online and pet owners are strongly encouraged to renew license(s) before June 2 to avoid late fees.

Veterinarian-administered rabies vaccinations and immunizations are required to be kept current. A rabies certificate is required when applying for a license, according to a news release from the Department of AGriculture, Conservation andForestry’s Office of Animal Welfare.

Why was this Executive Order necessary?
• Dogs traditionally must be vaccinated and registered within their municipalities by the end of the calendar year.
• At the start of the pandemic, many licensing requirements were temporarily suspended, including dog licensing.
• With municipalities now operating at near pre-pandemic hours and in the interest of animal health, the licensure requirement has been reinstated.
• Pet owners with overdue licenses have until June 2 to renew dog licenses.
To learn more about dog licenses, including fees, animal welfare and other important topics by visiting maine.gov/dacf/ahw/animal_welfare/.