Heather Knox of La Crosse says her curious 12-year-old Beagle has the tendency to run away, so she made sure to renew her pet license today.

"And it does help," Knox said. "She also wears a name tag and her tag from the vet for her rabies shot. It’s another way to verify your dog.”

Coulee Region Humane Society Executive Director Heather Schmid says it’s a Wisconsin law that no matter where you live in the state, you must license your dog.

"And depending on where you live in the county, the City of La Crosse, Onalaska and then Campbell, Shelby and Rockland, those municipalities also require cats to be licensed," Schmid said.

Schmid says about 7,000 dogs and 24,000 cats are not licensed in La Crosse County.

“If a pet is licensed, it’s also vaccinated for rabies at the time of licensure, which means if your pet is involved in a bite...and you can prove that your cat or dog has been vaccinated for its license, you’re going to potentially avoid a citation," Schmid said.

Schmid says part of the money from the license fee goes toward keeping animal control agencies running in the region.

“We’ve got about 7% of our total lost cat population here that’s redeemed," Schmid said. "So the other 93%, they’re here and we have to try and find homes for them.”

Which is another reason why Schmid says pet owners like Knox should be sure to get their pet licenses at the start of the new year.

“I had four pets and it took less than 5 minutes, so it doesn’t take long at all," Knox said.

Schmid says you should get renew your pet licenses by January 30. She says you can license your pets at the Coulee Region Humane Society or at your local city treasurer or clerk's office.