The City of Muscatine will be suspending the first-year registration fee for neutered dogs and cats from March 19 through April 30 to promote pet registration within the city. The offer does not apply to non-neutered pets.
All dogs and cats six months of age or older are required to be registered with the City of Muscatine.
A pet license runs concurrently with the pet’s rabies vaccination. The pet license is required to be renewed annually with each yearly rabies vaccination. If your pet has received a two or three year vaccination, you must renew your pet license annually or pay the multiple years of license fees at the time of registration.
It is the responsibility of the owner to present proof the pet being registered is altered. The pet licensing requirement applies to all pets over six months of age. It excludes owners of seeing-eye dogs or owners who are confined to a wheelchair. Both are exempt from paying the pet fee; however they are still required to register their animals with the Finance office at City Hall.
Owners must provide a certificate from a licensed veterinarian certifying that the dog or cat has received a rabies inoculation and the date that the inoculation occurred.
The annual cost of registration for a neutered pet is $5.00 but the annual fee is reduced to $3.00 for pet owners 65 and older. The fee for non-neutered pets is $25.00 per year with the annual fee reduced to $15.00 per year for pet owners 65 and older.
The neutered pet first year fee will be waived if the pet is registered prior to April 30 with the Department of Finance and Records at Muscatine City Hall, 215 Sycamore Street, Muscatine.
The Department keeps a complete registry of all licensed dogs and cats, their breed, color and sex, along with the name and address of the owner, and the number of the license tag. The registry is used to verify compliance with City Code during investigations by the Muscatine Police Department Animal Control Officer.
Neutered pets who receive a two-or three-year rabies inoculation may be registered for two or three years (based on the rabies inoculation received) if the multiple year fee is paid at the time of registration (i.e., $10.00 for two-years; $15.00 for three-years). Multiple year registrations will receive the first-year discount through April 30 as part of the City’s pet registration promotion.
The license will be in effect until the anniversary date of the rabies vaccination of the animal and shall be renewable as determined by the animals’ vaccination schedule.
Revisions to Chapter 8 (Animal Regulations) of Title 6 (Police and Public Safety) of the City Code of Muscatine were recently approved by the Muscatine City County. The revised ordinance went into effect Sunday, March 13, 2022. Informative articles on changes to the Animal Control Ordinance will be published in the future.
For more information on pet licensing, call the Finance Department at 563-264-1550 or visit the Pet Licensing page on the City of Muscatine website.
The City of Muscatine will be at two upcoming events to facilitate pet registration.
- It Takes A Village Animal Rescue and Resources, along with national nonprofit Petco Love, will host the first of a series of “Promoting Responsible Pet Ownership” events from 1-5 p.m., Saturday, March 19, at the Salvation Army, 1000 Oregon St., Muscatine. Free canine DAPPv shots will be provided to 250 pets on a first come, first serve basis. Microchipping will also be available.
- The Muscatine Humane Society, 920 S. Houser Street, Muscatine, will be hosting a low-cost event for dogs and cats from 3-6 p.m. on Friday, April 8, that will include rabies vaccination and microchipping on a first come, first served basis.
