GRIFFIN ROAD ANIMAL CLINIC

rabies certificate information

Rabies Registration Tag

Which pets are required to wear a Rabies Registration Tag?
Broward County’s animal ordinance requires ALL dogs and cats to wear an official Broward County Rabies Registration Tag. Ferrets are not required to wear a county tag. Guard dogs and dogs declared dangerous dogs are required to wear a special Registration Tag.  There is now a $600 fine for dogs and cats that are not vaccinated against rabies and registered with the County.

How is registration information used?
First and foremost, it is used to help Broward County Animal Care reunite lost pets with their owners. Animal and owner information is entered into our Registration database. If a dog or cat with a Rabies Registration Tag enters our Adoption Center, or we receive a phone call from a resident who has found a pet with a registration, the tag helps us access the owner’s information, so that we can contact them to claim their pet.

Anyone who finds a pet with a Rabies Registration Tag or tattoo, with complete or even partial information, can also access the Pet Registration Information Database to find owner information. This search feature is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, so even when Animal Care offices are closed, you can help reunite a lost pet with its owner.

Your purchase of a Rabies Registration Tag for your animal helps other shelter pets, too. Funds received from the sale of Rabies Registration Tags go to provide food, care and important medical treatments for shelter pets, as well as spay/neuter programs.

My pet has a microchip (and/or a tattoo). Does he still need a Rabies Registration Tag?
Yes. Broward County animal ordinances require that pets be registered by the age of four months, and renewed annually, even if the animal is already identified by a microchip and/or tattoo. A Rabies Registration Tag on a lost animal is a visible sign that the pet is owned. A microchip can only be detected through a special scanning device, and tattoos can fade over time and become hard to decipher, particularly on dark-coated dogs and cats. If your pet is micro-chipped and/or tattooed, be sure to keep animal and owner information updated with the facility that applied the identification.  Petl name tags are also helpful as a secondary means of identification.

Does my indoor pet need a Rabies Registration Tag?
Yes! “Indoor” pets are NOT EXEMPT from Broward County’s Rabies Registration Tag requirement. And while you may think that your indoor pet will never get out, Broward County Animal Care receives dogs and cats at the Adoption Center every day that are lost or injured, some pets are even killed by vehicles or other hazards. In addition, heavy storms and severe weather that occur throughout South Florida can cause extensive damage to homes, such as torn screens and broken windows.  Pets can easily escape through these openings and become lost.  Their chances of being reunited with their owners are very slim without a Registration Tag or registered microchip.

How do I check my pet’s registration information and update it, if necessary?
Go to the Pet Registration Database and search the database by the tag number. To update your pet record, click RECORD UPDATE. You can also call Animal Care at 954-359-1313 to update your record over the phoneType your paragraph here.

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4101 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale, Fl. 33314                                       Office: (954) 581-0710   Fax: (954) 581-8524