If you “harbor or keep” a dog on your Brown County property, take note: Your dog tax is due next month.
The tax applies to dogs age 6 months or older. It’s $5 per dog unless you have a kennel license. For kennels, the fee is $30 if you have less than six taxable dogs or $50 if you have more than six.
Dog taxes are due by June 1 each year. If you miss that date, you can still pay and you’re good until the next year’s deadline, said Andy Bond, chief deputy county treasurer.
Dog tax forms were sent with property tax bills last month. The treasurer’s office collects the payment, but Animal Control keeps track of who has paid and where those dogs reside, Bond said.
If Animal Control learns that a dog owner hasn’t paid the tax, that owner could be subject to a $100 fine per dog, she said.
Last year, the county collected $7,892 in dog taxes.
Dog tax money is split among several entities: 20 percent to Purdue University for canine research and education and 80 percent to the county. The county uses the money to help fund the Brown County Humane Society and Animal Control, including dead animal disposal; and to reimburse farmers for livestock kills and people who have undergone treatment for post-exposure rabies.
If you live in the Town of Nashville and own a dog, you are also subject to a separate, additional dog license fee each year.
The town’s dog license fee is also $5 per dog, or $15 if the dog hasn’t been spayed or neutered. It’s due each year on Jan. 1, but if you miss that deadline, you can still pay later in the year and be compliant until the next Jan. 1.
The town’s dog license ordinance has been in place since 1970. In 2018, a total of $225 in dog license fees was collected.
Half of each town dog license 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.
