Top dog names and breeds released by city
By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
It's been extremely cold recently for people and their pets, said Hays Community Service Officer Nicki Hausler, who works animal control for the police department.
She reminds people to keep their pets warm with a fresh supply of water.
"All animals, especially in below zero temperatures, need protection," Hausler said.
The city of Hays has an anti-cruelty statute about animals, but it doesn't require bringing pets indoors when it's cold outside.
Pet owners are required to provide an insulated doghouse for outdoor pets.
"It's better to use hay inside the house or cat hut than a blanket because the blanket will draw the moisture, and then they're just laying on a block of ice," Hausler said.
When a dog or cat running at large outdoors is picked up by animal control and it's sporting a Hays pet license tag, the odds of that pet being returned to its home go way up.
"I always tell everybody a city pet tag is your dog or cat's one-way ticket home," Hausler said. "It's the fastest way we can get those animals back to you."
The pet tag includes 24-hour access to a city license database.
"We'll just call you up and say, 'We've got Fluffy, where can we meet,' instead of taking them all the way out to the animal shelter and impounding them. Then the owners have to pay impound fees to collect their animal," she said.
City pet tags for 2024 are now on sale at the city clerk's office, 1507 Main St. They are renewable annually.
The license cost is $5 if you have a spayed or neutered animal. If the animal is unaltered, cost goes up to $25.
To date, approximately 500 pets have been registered with the city but there are many more pet dogs and cats in the city limits of Hays, Hausler said.
After March 1, the license cost goes up to $10 for every month you're late purchasing it.
To buy a Hays license, you need to provide paperwork showing your dog or cat is vaccinated against rabies.
According to information provided by the IT and city clerk departments, the top 10 dog breeds registered in Hays are
1. Mix
2. Labrador
3. Shih Tzu
4. Golden Doodle
5. Chihuahua
6. Australian Shepherd
7. Husky
8. Beagle
9. Yorkie
10. Boxer
The top 10 most popular names of dogs registered in Hays are
1. Daisy
2. Sadie
3. Bella
4. Max
5. Luna
6. Maggie
7. Molly
8. Buddy
9. Lilly
10. Bailey
Hausler says a lot of pet owners now have their animals microchipped, and the city's animal control vehicle is equipped with a scanner for the chips.
But she reminds pet owners to be sure they have the chips registered after they're inserted by a veterinarian.
"So many times we find people don't follow up to register those online," she said. "And if you don't register it under your name, when we call up the 1-800 pet link number, it says it's not registered. So, it doesn't do us any good."
Being able to actually see the city pet tag can be more helpful.
"A lot of times we don't even have to get involved. If somebody finds a dog or cat, they can call our police dispatchers with the tag number. If they're comfortable with it, the people can meet up and we don't even get involved."
Although a rabies tag can be used as identification, Hausler said a pet wearing just a rabies tag who is picked up at night or over the weekend, would have to be impounded until the veterinarian office opens up and can be contacted for ownership contact information.