DOVER, DE - Delaware’s Office of Animal Welfare (OAW) has announced a new dog licensing and lost pet service available to Delawareans starting Wednesday.
In a partnership with DocuPet, OAW says the new and modernized program, launched April 9, will offer a more convenient and accessible way for owners to register their dogs and help keep them out of shelters.
Dogs licensed through the DocuPet platform are assigned a tag with a unique code linking directly to the dog’s secure online profile, according to OAW. If a lost pet is found, anyone will be able to reference that code to create a Found Pet Report. Owners will also be able to create a Lost Pet Report through the platform. OAW says DocuPet also has 24/7 dispatch staff to help families reunite with their lost pets.
“Our new partnership with DocuPet will be extremely valuable to dog owners and necessary for animal safety within the state,” said Christina Motoyoshi, director of OAW. “Licensing your dog helps reduce the number of animals in shelters, freeing up space and resources for pets in need. Licensing also helps to ensure public safety and support critical animal services to our community. We’re excited for residents to take advantage of this program to help keep their own pets and others in the community safe.”
Delaware law requires dogs six months or older be licensed and receive a valid rabies vaccination. Officials say they are waiving late fees for expired licenses until July 15, 2025 to encourage licensing compliance.
Pet owners can learn more about licensing their pets at this link. Those with pet licensing questions can also click here.