By Gail Geraghty

Staff Writer

Don’t blame the town if you get stuck with a $25 late fee for not licensing your dog before Jan. 31.

The town of Bridgton has done due diligence to remind residents to register their dog or dogs before Jan. 31, the annual deadline set by the state, Town Manager Mitch Berkowitz said Tuesday.

The reminder will run as an ad in the News for the next two weeks, and a notice is also posted on the town’s website, he said. The fee is $6 for spayed or neutered dogs and $11 for unaltered dogs. Licenses are issued for one year, ending Dec. 31.

Those who fail to meet the deadline are charged a $25 late fee for each unlicensed dog. It was that late fee that, last year, caused one resident to criticize the town for not doing a better job informing residents.

“Today I registered my dog, and saved myself all that money and time,” Selectman Bob McHatton said. Actually, he amended, it was the day before, but the point still remains.

The town of Bridgton maintains a list of dog licenses that have been issued. The list shows that 443 dogs were licensed in 2013, and that to date a total of 320 licenses have been issued for 2014. Police Chief Kevin Schofield said Animal Control Officer Kathleen Quinlan periodically calls residents who have licensed dogs in the past but have not come back for renewals. Some towns, such as Norway, send out cards to dog owners reminding them of the Jan. 31 deadline.