Nashville residents who have dogs need to pay their annual dog license fees this month.

If the dog has been spayed or neutered, the fee is $5 per dog; if the dog has not been fixed, the fee is $15.

The law applies to dogs that live inside and outside.

The town plans to enforce this law this year more than it has in the past, said town council President “Buzz” King. It’s been in place since 1970, but few people follow it, he said.

Half of the fee goes to the Brown County Humane Society and the other half pays for the tag that licensed dogs get. If a dog is found, that tag number helps to trace the dog back to the owner, King said.

“We’re not going to go after people, but if we see you on the street with (an unlicensed) dog and stop and talk to you … you’re going to be a little bit in trouble,” he said.

The town’s ordinance allows the police chief or animal control officers to impound an unlicensed dog at the animal shelter. The shelter is entitled to collect fees to cover the costs of caring for that animal while it is in the shelter’s care, town ordinance says.

Anyone who refuses to pay the humane society for the care of a dog is subject to a $2,000 fine, said Town Attorney James T. Roberts.

His Irish setter once got loose and ended up in the shelter, and he had to pay her “motel bill” of $35 a night to get her out, he said.

“There are some pretty sharp teeth in our ordinance if we choose to enforce it,” Roberts said.

The town’s dog license is separate from the county’s dog tax.

All dogs over 6 months of age that live in Brown County are subject to a $5 tax, due by July 1 each year to the Brown County treasurer. Eighty percent of that money is given to the local humane society; 20 percent goes to canine research and education at Purdue University.

Anyone found to not be paying their county dog tax is subject to a $100 fine.