State law and local ordinance require the annual licensing of dogs and cats. Any person, who owns, feeds, keeps or harbors a dog or cat for more than 10 days must obtain a license. Pet owners, who have already licensed their pets, should renew the license no later than January 31 of each year. All licenses expire December 31 of each year, regardless of the date the license was obtained.

The fee for a spayed/neutered dog or cat is $12.00; the fee for a non-spayed/non-neutered dog or cat is $15.00. There is a $25.00 late fee for all pets whose licenses are renewed after May 10 of the licensing year.

To obtain a dog license, you must show proof that the animal has a valid rabies vaccination. As per State law, a valid rabies vaccination is one that DOES NOT EXPIRE BEFORE NOVEMBER 1 OF THE LICENSING YEAR. If your dog’s rabies vaccination expires before November 1 of the year in which you are obtaining a license, you must have your pet revaccinated before we can issue a license. Cats must have a current rabies vaccination at the time a license is obtained.

The Township offers a FREE rabies clinic each year on the first Saturday in May.

Information presented here has been taken from the official Voorhees township website. Always check with the Voorhees township Clerk’s office for the most up-to-date and accurate information.

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Core Vaccinations:

The following vaccinations are required for almost every dog, with limited exceptions.

• Rabies (Merial Imrab 3 TF), a viral disease that causes a fatal encephalitis.  The rabies vaccine is required by law in New Jersey.  Rabies is carried by bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes, though it can infect any warm-blooded animal, including humans.  Upon vaccination, your dog will be issued a rabies certificate.  The first rabies vaccine is good for one year.  Every vaccine after that is labeled for three years of immunity.
• Canine Distemper (included in DHPP).  Vaccination against this often fatal, hard-to-treat disease is absolutely essential. Highly contagious, it is spread by discharges from the noses and eyes of infected dogs. Symptoms can include listlessness, fever, coughing, diarrhea and vomiting; convulsions and paralysis may occur in the disease’s final stages. The distemper virus attacks many organs, including the nervous system, which may be permanently damaged, even if the dog recovers.
• Canine Parvovirus (included in DHPP), Very contagious, debilitating and widespread, the disease caused by this virus emerged in many parts of the world only in 1978. Spread through infected feces, the highly resistant virus can remain in the environment for many months. Symptoms of Parvo infection include high fever, listlessness, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Vaccination is the only certain method of preventing this potentially fatal disease, which is most severe in young pups and elderly dogs.
• Infectious Canine Hepatitis (included in DHPP), Caused by Canine Adenovirus Type I, this disease is transmitted among dogs by contact with secretions, such as saliva, infected urine or faeces. Its symptoms are similar to those of the early stages of distemper. Causing liver failure, eye damage and breathing problems, the course of this disease can range from mild to fatal. Vaccination remains the best protection.
• Parainfluenza (included in DHPP), a virus that causes respiratory disease.
• Leptospirosis (found in DHLPP, Lepto vaccine, and Lepto/Lyme combination vaccine), a bacterial disease which attacks the kidneys and liver.  There are several strains of leptospirosis.  It is spread through the urine of wild animals.  It is zoonotic, meaning it can also infect humans.

Optional Vaccinations:

• Lyme Disease (Borreliosis), a tick-borne disease that causes lethargy, joint pain, and reduced appetite.
• Bordetella (Kennel Cough, Infectious Tracheobronchitis), Just as with the human common cold, this respiratory-tract infection is easily transmitted from one dog to another, so vaccination is imperative if your pet will come in contact with many other dogs in such situations as obedience training or boarding at a kennel.  Kennel Cough can be caused by various airborne bacteria and viruses, including Canine Parainfluenza virus, Canine Adenovirus Type II and Bordetella bronchiseptica.  You’ll first notice its onset by your dog’s dry, hacking cough, sometimes with a small amount of clear or foamy white fluid brought up at the end.  The Bordetella vaccine is required by most kennels.
• Canine Influenza (Dog flu), a viral respiratory infection.  It is rare but potentially fatal.  The influenza vaccine is required by some kennels.

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