Dog Licenses & By-Law

Puppy in Flowers

"Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole." - Roger Caras


Any dog kept within the confines of the town must be duly licensed and tagged as required by Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 140, Sections 137-147 including amendments as enacted and approved by the Commonwealth. The Town of Dunstable requires that every dog six months and older be licensed by January 1st annually. As of April 1st, a $10.00 late fee will be assessed in addition to the cost of the license for existing dogs. If you fail to license your dog after May 1st, a $50.00 fine will be assessed in addition to the $10.00 late fee and the cost of the license. Any person acquiring a dog, six months of age or older, after the last day of February in any year shall have thirty (30) days from the date of acquisition which shall be presumed to be the date on the rabies certificate, to register and license the dog or be subject to a late fee of $10.00.

To pay online, visit the Clerk online payment center here. If you are paying online you do not have to fill out a Dog License Application.  If ordering by mail, complete a Dog License Application and enclose the appropriate fee and rabies vaccination certificate if one is not on file with this office (you may call ahead to question if we have a current certificate on file), a self-addressed stamped envelope and the appropriate fee (checks should be made payable to "Town of Dunstable"). A spay or neutering certificate must be enclosed if the dog has not previously been licensed as spayed or neutered.

It was voted at the Annual Town Meeting in May 2004 that the license fee would be waived for dog owners aged 70 and older but late fees and fines will be in effect if the owner fails to license their dog.

No person shall permit a dog owned or kept by him/her to be beyond the confines of the property of the owner or keeper unless the dog is under the control of such owner, keeper or his/her agent or is firmly held on a leash. As used in this Section, the term 'control' shall include, but shall not be limited to oral or visual commands to which the dog is obedient. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of the Selectmen to impose a more restrictive standard of restraint in connection with a particular matter properly before them under any applicable law, bylaw or regulation. Please refer to the Town of Dunstable Dog Control Bylaw for full information.

Fee Schedule 
Male - Unaltered$10.00
Neutered Male$6.00
Female - Unaltered$10.00
Spayed Female$6.00
Owner Over 70No Charge