General News

Orangeville improves dog licensing system with new online system

March 20, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Orangeville is rolling out an online dog licensing program.

The change was made to municipal animal control legislation during its March 10 meeting that allows dog licences to be valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.

The municipal dog licensing program returned to the town after the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals pulled out of enforcing the bylaw on Jan. 1.

Considering the change, the town will introduce a new online dog licensing portal, called Docupet. It’s aimed at streamlining the licensing process and improving compliance.

According to a report to council, staff are recommending modifying the bylaw to implement a rolling 12-month validity for licences to replace the current fixed expiration date of April 30. This fixed expiration date leads to a significant increase in application submissions every April and coincides with the beginning of the peak period for marriage licence applications.

“This change is expected to increase license sales throughout the year, reduce administrative burdens, and improve public safety by enhancing enforcement capabilities through integrated data from Docupet,” according to the report written by James Bramley, the licensing and bylaw enforcement supervisor.

The town recently entered into a service contract with Docupet which is an online dog licensing portal serving more than 60 Ontario municipalities.

This transition offers customer support to residents in obtaining their licenses through the online licensing system and integrates with the GIS system, aiding bylaw enforcement and resident education.

“The system also offers a link for residents to donate directly to our local OSPCA should they wish,” Bramley said in his report. “All dog licence fees are retained by the town, with a portion provided to the OSPCA through our service agreement.”

The town will provide a direct dog licence link for use by the OSPCA at their location. The OSPCA will get 25 per cent of the revenue from the sale of licences made through the Docupet link.

“Tailoring the licensing period to individual purchase dates may stimulate more consistent compliance and engagement from residents who can now align their license renewals with their personal schedules, upon obtaining a new dog or moving to the town, without financial inconsistencies previously found with the fixed date program,” Bramley wrote.

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