How Many Dogs Live in Wayland?

WAYLAND, MA - The deadline to license your dog in Wayland came and went on Jan. 15, 2016.

That means that the number of licenses the Office of the Town Clerk has issued to date should reveal how many dogs live in town.

But there’s a problem: In 2015, just under 1,900 dogs were licensed in Wayland, according to Assistant Town Clerk Diane Gorham. She’s still working through a bit of a backlog of new and renewed licenses, but Gorham estimated that only about 1,300 dogs have been licensed in Wayland for 2016.

Gorham said that some of that discrepancy is normal, but it is helpful if families reach out to the Office of the Town Clerk to explain.

“We encourage people to let us know if they have moved out of town or their dog has died,” Gorham said.

As for the dogs that simply haven’t been renewed for 2016, Gorham said that the Office of the Town Clerk will eventually pass a list of unrenewed licenses on to Wayland’s dog officer who, in turn, will begin issuing tickets to residents with unlicensed dogs. Those tickets come with hefty $90 fines.

Gorham said that a late fee now applies for registering your dog, but it’s just $25 -- a far cry from the $90 fine for not registering at all. Registration is available online (the late fee will be automatically added) and also with a downloadable form that you can turn in to the town clerk’s office at Wayland Town Building.

Licenses cost $15 for each spayed or neutered dog and $25 for each intact dog.