Division of Dog Licensing 



JOE E. PHILLIPS, Director 



The dog license law went into effect on January 1, 1919, and was 

 enacted for the purpose of protecting the Live Stock industry and 

 doing away with homeless and useless dogs. The license fee was made 

 very nominal, $2.00 for female and $1.00 for male dogs. In addition to 

 this a kennel license was provided for those who maintained kennels. 

 The kennel fee is $10.00 for ten or less dogs and $25.00 for a kennel of 

 more than ten dogs. 



The dogs are listed by the County Tax Commissioners, who receive 

 five (5c) cents for each dog listed. The County Court Clerk issues the 

 licenses and receives fifteen (15c) cents for each license issued. The 

 Department of Agriculture receives five (5%) per cent of each license 

 issued for administration of this act and the expenses attached thereto. 

 The balance of all money received by the county court clerk after pay- 

 ing for license books, tags and expenses for enforcement is put into the 

 county Live Stock Fund and is used for the payment of tlaims for 

 damages to live stock and poultry. After all claims are paid, if there 

 is any money left in the Live Stock Fund, it reverts to the County 

 School Fund of that respective county. 



This fund is the only form of insurance whereby the owner of live 

 stock and poultry is protected from huge losses annually, and without 

 the dog law the losses of sheep growers especially would be so great 

 that within a few years the industry would practically be discontinued 

 in Kentucky. 



During the Fiscal year ending July 1, 1928, Kentucky licensed 

 110,841 dogs, and during the Fiscal year ending July 1, 1929, there were 

 licensed in this state 123,604 dogs. 



Prior to the passage of the dog law the farmers whose stock and 

 poultry were damaged and killed by ravenous dogs had little or no 

 recourse, due to the fact that the dog owner was usually insolvent or 

 unknown. Under the present law any person whose stock or poultry 

 is maimed or killed by dogs, upon filing a claim and having damages 

 appraised as required by law, is entitled to indemnity from the county 

 live stock fund to cover his losses. The dog license law has acted as 

 a stimulus to stockmen, and more especially to the sheep breeders of 

 the state and this industry is growing steadily, not only in central 

 Kentucky but in the eastern and western parts of the state where the 

 farmers are realizing they have this protection. 



On the first of July, 1927, there was a balance of $9,490.41 in the 

 dog fund of the state, on July 1, 1928, the balance was $7,500.31 and 

 the first of July, 1929, the balance was $3,769.48. It is easy to see that 

 if there had not been a reserve in the dog fund that the work of en- 



