Anna Stonehouse/Aspen Times
For those who live in unincorporated Pitkin County or the town of Snowmass Village, pet licensing becomes much easier.
The Pitkin County Sheriff's Office recently simplified its pet permit program through a collaboration with DocuPet., Pet Profiles, Lost Pets, Licensing Platform. Pet licensing can now be done online from the comfort of your home.
Chief Deputy of Operations Parker Lathrop said the partnership is primarily aimed at streamlining the pet permitting process for pet owners and prioritizes the safety and well-being of Pitkin County's pets. He said DocuPet was ultimately chosen by him as the most user-friendly of the programs sampled by the county.
“It was about time we took these registers in triple format, both on paper and into a modern era of online digital records, which is more in line with the global landscape,” he said. “(Licenses) are required, but compliance is very difficult to get. So if we can make the process easier, that's the goal, and I think DocuPet can really help.”
This new system will give Pitkin County residents access to a robust pet identification and reunification system. Regional Response Officer Emily Casebiel said the county's old system, while still working, is outdated. She said one of her benefits of the new system is that it can reduce the burden on local shelters while allocating resources to pets in need of care.
“I'm really looking forward to it. I think this will modernize the process for pet licensing, especially dog licensing, in our county as required by county ordinance,” she said. “The main goal is to make it more accessible in hopes of increasing compliance with county ordinances. Also, by increasing compliance with counting ordinances, we will be able to license more pets.” , which in turn helps reunite lost pets with their owners.”
Reuniting lost pets can be difficult because not all dogs wear collars or have tags or microchips, she said. Since reports of missing pets come in on a regular basis, DocuPet Tags comes with a free HomeSafe 24/7 lost pet service that will ultimately reduce the amount of time your pet is missing. She said she is expected to.
“If a dog is found with a DocuPet tag, that tag will have a unique number on the website, so this tool actually gets into the hands of citizens,” she said. “Anyone who finds a dog with this tag can connect that number to our website and get that dog's owner information. Your complaint may never reach us. It just happens to be that dog. The person who found it may be able to take care of it, which would be great. The important thing is to get the dog home as quickly as possible.”
Seth Saxon is the director of the Aspen Animal Shelter. We have worked closely with Casebiel and the county for the past 32 years. He said dog licensing has always been available, but there has never been a clear and concise program.
“For the last 30 years I've been here, there's been a rather old-fashioned atmosphere in the sense that even if a dog doesn't have a microchip or tag, we say, “It doesn't even matter.'' “Oh my god, that's John Doe's dog. He lives on McLean Flats. Give me a call.'' It seems like a very old-fashioned way, and half the dogs that come here are me anyway. “We all know,” he said. “But it’s really great to see better programs introduced as the community grows.”
DocuPet Designer Tags will have 20% of the proceeds going back to Aspen Animal Shelter.
Casebeer would like to remind everyone that a pet permit is required for all dogs living in unincorporated Pitkin County. To obtain a license, please visit pitkincounty.docupet.com.. For more information about dog licenses, licensing benefits, and Pitkin County fees/policies, visit pitkincounty.com/173/Dog-Licenses..
To contact Jonson Kuhn, email jkuhn@aspentimes.com.
