License your pet: dogs, cats and ferrets must be licenses at four months or older. The license is an excellent way to assist animal control staff in returning your lost pet. Alachua County Pet License Application. Online Form License Application. Alachua County Ordinance
Leash your pet; it is critical that anytime your pet leaves your yard that the pet is on a leash. Most pets get into trouble when their owners allow their pets to run loose in their neighborhood. Alachua County Ordinance
Provide minimum care: The basic requirements of any pet is daily feeding, fresh clean water, shelter and veterinary care. Although the law does not require you to spend time with your pet, your pet is a social creature and craves your attention. In an ideal world, all pet owners would have their pets living in their homes as companion animals. If you require your pet to live outdoors, you need to pay particular attention to these minimum requirements and that you check on your pet throughout the day. If you must chain your dog, please use a trolley system. Alachua County Ordinance
Spay/Neutering: We have an overpopulation of dogs and cats in our community. It is a reckless act to engage in breeding of pets, especially pit bull dogs. The pit bull breed makes up the largest surplus breed in our animal shelters; nearly 40% of the dogs that are euthanized in our community are pit bulls. If you are looking for a new pet, please check your local animal shelter or humane society. Alachua County Ordinance
Pet Waste: Pet Waste is becoming a growing environmental concern in our community. Pet owners are required to pick up after their pets and to properly dispose of animal waste. When you are walking your dog (hopefully on leash), you should IMMEDIATELY pick up any animal waste that is deposited by your pet. Pet waste and allowing pets to run at large are two of the most common neighborhood disputes that Animal Services respond to. Alachua County Ordinance
Pet ownership is not for lazy people!
Noise: Nothing is more objectionable than to be awaken at 2 AM by a neighbors dog. Barking dogs is one of the major reasons that pets should be housed within the home. If you insist in maintaining an outdoor dog, be considerate of your neighbors to insure that your pet is not becoming a neighborhood annoyance. Many people who have pets SHOULD NOT own them!
Being a responsible pet owner is being a good neighbor!
Owning a pit bull dog: The pit bull dog is only for the most responsible of pet owners. It is a very loyal breed, but very powerful. The breed has genetic traits that tends to make it animal aggressive; precautions need to be taken to prevent the dog's contact with other animals, if it begins demonstrating these tendencies. As a powerful breed, it is more likely to inflict sever injury or death to other animals and people; for this reason, many insurance companies refuse to insure these dogs and many communities ban the breed. The biggest problem with this breed is that this breed attracts the worst pet owners and that is why the breed maintains that "bad dog" stigma. With the right pet owner, these dogs can make good pets; but, must be constantly monitored. Any pet can bite, but pit bull dogs tend to inflict the worst bites. If you are going to own this breed, you must recognize your responsibility in controlling your dog. More Information. Alachua County Ordinance
Treat all pets as if they can bite!
The primary reason that people are bitten is that the pet owner does not take the proper precautions to prevent their pet from biting. One of the most common phrases heard from dog owners just prior to a bite is, "Don't worry he won't bite." If every pet owner treated their pet as having "bite potential," there would be far fewer bites in our county. Special Report on Dog Bites.
