Pet Licensing & Permits

The City of St. Joseph requires all dogs and cats to be vaccinated for rabies and registered at 3 months of age.

Register Your Pet

We’ve partnered with DocuPet to provide pet enhanced licensing services for City of St. Joseph residents. When you license your pet in St. Joseph, you’ll receive a unique tag for their collar and free access to DocuPet’s HomeSafe® 24/7 Lost Pet Service, which helps reunite lost pets through linked tags and detailed online profiles. 

You can choose a standard tag at no extra cost or upgrade to a stylish designer tag for a small fee. Both types of tags can be personalized with your pet’s name and your phone number, and they also serve as your pet’s official St. Joseph license. For more information, view the DocuPet Pet Licensing Brochure (PDF).

Registering your pet may save its life. Some facts about registering your pet include:

  • 99% of lost registered pets are reunited with their owners.
  • Registration tags may be purchased online. Please contact animal services if you need assistance.
  • Spayed / neutered animal tags are $10
  • Unaltered animal tags are $25
  • Registration tags expire one year from the date of purchase, or when the rabies vaccination expires, whichever comes first.

Breeder's Permit

Pet owners need to purchase a breeder's permit if they intend to allow their dog or cat to breed. The cost of the breeder's permit is $20. If an owner fails to obtain a breeder's permit and is in possession of a litter of puppies or kittens, a litter permit is required and costs $100.

The permits are only available from Animal Services. A refund of $50 may be available if the female is spayed within 30 days of the litter permit purchase date. Failure to obtain the appropriate permit can result in a summons to appear in municipal court, and if found guilty assessed a fine no less than $100.

Dog Park Permit

The City of St. Joseph offers dog owners the opportunity to use an off-leash dog park located north of Corby Pond and south of Eagles baseball field (located at 22nd and Marion streets). A $5 annual membership to the Corby Dog Park is required. All member dogs must wear a unique tag when visiting the park.

Responsibilities and regulations accompany membership and the complete document for membership (PDF). Membership applications will be accepted at most area veterinary clinics, St. Joseph City Hall at 1100 Frederick Avenue in Customer Service in room 101A or at the St. Joseph Animal Services at 701 Lower Lake Road.

Following are the basic requirements which must be met to purchase a dog park membership:

  • Current animal registration.
  • Proof of current vaccination for: Rabies and Distemper Parvo combo vaccine.
  • Vaccinating your dog for Bordetella is recommended but not required.
  • Proof that dog has been spayed or neutered (dog must be spayed or neutered to access the park).

Non-City Residents must have:

  • Proof of current vaccination for: Rabies and Distemper Parvo combo vaccine.
  • Vaccinating your dog for Bordetella is recommended but not required.
  • Proof that dog has been spayed or neutered (dog must be spayed or neutered to access the park).
  • A uniquely shaped and/or colored dog park tag will be issued during each calendar year. Dog park membership and tags are valid for each calendar year. (I.e. A 2015 tag issued in July of 2015 would be valid until January 1, 2016.)
  • The dog park tag and city registration tag (if applicable) must be worn at all times while in the park. Upon approval of this application, payment of the annual fee, and issuance of the collar tag(s), the individual(s) and the dog(s) identified in this application may use the dog park in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations. A nominal membership fee of $5 per dog will be collected in exchange for park membership.