How Do I Register My Cat With The State

Animal Licensing

Cat and dog

If you lot currently own a pet in the Urban center of Des Moines, you need to have them licensed. It's important because if your pet were to get lost, the City can help get them dwelling house with identification. The fees also assist with the funding expenses for the animal shelter.

What pets need a license?

Any dog and/or cat over six months of historic period needs to be licensed. The fee is due January 1 each yr, but we give you until March 31 before we start charging late fees.

If your pet will not turn six months quondam until later on March 31, yous won't have to pay a late fee, but you demand to register them as before long as they are one-time enough. The same applies to those who bring abode a new pet or motion into Des Moines subsequently March 31 too. Yous tin employ an adoption grade from a local rescue to provide proof of a new pet, or provide a utility bill for proof of a new address.

What is the price?

If your cat or canis familiaris is spayed or neutered, the fee is $15 per beast. If your pet is not fixed, it'due south $35 per creature. If you are 65 years old or older, you may annals ane true cat and i canis familiaris for $v each, with additional animals at the regular fee.

What about service animals?

Service animals accept no fee, with proper certification. You tin provide a certificate of completion from a service fauna program, an accreditation grade or a doctor'south written approval to provide proof that your pet is an official service animate being. Please download and complete the service animal application to include with your certification.

How exercise you license your pets?

2022 fauna licenses volition exist bachelor online start December 2021 . You volition exist asked to upload copies of your rabies vaccination document and proof of spay or neuter (if applicable). Your license volition non be issued without all necessary documentation.

If you prefer to non apply online, download and complete the License Class, then postal service it or place it in the secure drop box exterior of City Hall:

Metropolis Clerk'south Office
400 Robert D. Ray Bulldoze
Des Moines, IA 50309

You must also submit current rabies and proof of spay/neuter (i fourth dimension just) from your veterinarian, along with the required fee. Fees tin can be paid by cash or check with our secure drib box outside City Hall, or with a Visa/Mastercard over the telephone or online. If your dog is considered high risk, download the fastened High Take chances Compliance application and provide the required information with your application.

Fees volition exist accepted and processed Mon through Fri from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or on the side by side concern twenty-four hour period.

If you would like to buy an annual Dog Park Allow, you lot can include an boosted $20 with your annual license payment. The Domestic dog Park Permit provides yous access to the Metropolis's three Dog Parks with unlimited utilise for the year. Visit Des Moines Parks and Recreation to learn more about Dog Park locations and rules.

Ofttimes Asked Questions

City ordinance requires an annual tag. This allows the City to contact yous immediately if your pet is found.

Fees collected for animate being licenses are used for the enforcement of animal ordinances and to cover the expense of running animal shelters that serve animals in need throughout the City of Des Moines. Collected fees are deposited in the City's General Fund and designated for these uses.

Learn more about Beast Care and Control in Des Moines.

You may bring the current tag issued from another City, along with a electric current rabies certificate, and nosotros will exchange your existing tag for a Urban center of Des Moines pet license at no charge.

A current rabies vaccination certificate
Proof of spay or neuter, if applicable
A completed Pet License Application
The required fee, listed on the Pet License Application each year

2022 animal licenses will exist bachelor online starting time December 2021.
The Urban center Clerk'south Office, City Hall, 400 Robert D Ray Drive.
If yous would like to mail service-in or drop-off your registration documents and pay your fee via check, complete and print the application form on the City of Des Moines website and post it with the appropriate information and fee to City Clerk'southward Part, PO Box 10326, Des Moines, IA 50306-0326, or drop information technology off using the secure dropbox outside City Hall (400 Robert D. Ray Bulldoze).

Anyone who has lost a pet is encouraged to visit the ARL of Iowa Brute Care and Command Eye, located 1615 SE 14th Street in Des Moines. Delight visit in-person for a walk-through of the shelter someday between9 a.grand.-five p.m., Mon through Saturday. Lost animals are held five days without ID, and vii days with ID.

While searching for your pet, we encourage more than one visit to the shelter because new stray animals arrive at the shelter each twenty-four hour period.

To help the Metropolis chop-chop and safely return your pet, we recommend that your pets clothing their ID tags and rabies tags. Consider having your pet microchipped for identification.

Des Moines Animal Command Unit will attempt to catch whatever stray dogs or cats that roam your neighborhood.
If you have a continuous problem with stray animals, you may request a live trap to be placed at your residence.
To report a devious animate being, call the Des Moines Police Department Non-Emergency Dispatch Line (515) 283-4811.

If you are not comfortable discussing with your neighbor, please telephone call the Des Moines Police force Department Non-Emergency Dispatch line at (515) 283-4811.

Whatsoever victim bitten by a warm-blooded beast or owner of any animal which bites a homo or another animate being should immediately report that incident past calling the Des Moines Police Department at (515) 283-4811.

Any owner of any unlicensed pet is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be punished by a fine upwards to $500 or past imprisonment up to 30 days.

Any unlicensed pet that gets loose and is involved with biting a person or some other brute will non qualify for at-dwelling quarantine, as described in Des Moines Municipal Code.

City ordinance allows for no more than 6 licensed pets per household. No more than iii licensed dogs are permitted in a household.
You tin can utilise for a fourth dog waiver by completing and submitting the 4th canis familiaris waiver awarding course.

The Metropolis ordinance allows the Urban center Clerk to grant a waiver of the iii-dog limit for one additional dog under the post-obit conditions:

The additional dog'southward full grown weight is not more than xx pounds as certified in writing by a veterinarian (certification must be within 30 days prior to purchasing license)
The owner provides a current rabies vaccination certificate for the boosted domestic dog
The owner provides proof the additional dog has been spayed or neutered
No more than than two cats reside on the property, subject area to the waiver
The waiver certificate shall be maintained by the possessor, and must exist available upon asking

Download and complete the application for fourth dog waiver to submit when registering your pets.

No owner, possessor, or person in charge of a dog, cat, equus caballus or other animal shall fail to clean upwards or immediately remove any excrement or debris deposited past such dog, cat, horse or other animal on whatsoever belongings not owned or in control of that person.

In addition, the possessor of the pet is also required to remove any excrement or droppings from their property.

Pet waste should be disposed of in garbage cans, not yard waste matter containers or tempest drains.

If the dog is on the owner's belongings it must exist restrained past an adequate protective fence or by leash, string, chain or other similar restraint or the pet must be always inside the bodily concrete presence of and immediately obedient to the commands of the owner or person given charge of the dog and at no time be more than six feet from such person.

If the dog is off the owner's premises it must be on a ternion, cord, or chain or other similar restraint non more than than six feet in length and under the control of a person competent to restrain and command the dog.

Cats are not required to be leashed; notwithstanding, if a cat is non confined within a premise, it is required to be spayed or neutered, and properly licensed.

No person shall own, possess or harbor any animal which frequently or for continued duration emits sounds native to the species which are a noise pollution across a residential property boundary or within a noise sensitive area.

If you are not comfortable discussing violations of this ordinance with your neighbor, delight telephone call the Des Moines Constabulary Section Non-Emergency Dispatch line at(515) 283-4811.

Des Moines' ordinance defines any of the following breeds as high risk:

Staffordshire Terrier
American Pit Balderdash Terrier breed
American Staffordshire Terrier
Any canis familiaris that has the appearance and characteristics of beingness predominately of the breeds of Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, or American Staffordshire Terrier

Owners of these breeds must provide:

A current rabies document
Written proof of spaying/neutering, if applicative
Proof of insurance coverage, such equally homeowner's or renter's policy, with a minimum liability amount of $100,000

The pet must be confined equally required by Section 18-56 of the Municipal Code. The owner is required to complete the Loftier-Risk Compliance form.

There are many pets of various breeds and ages waiting for a new home at the Brute Rescue League of Iowa. Discover a location at theARL website.