(250) 414-0233

History of Dog Licensing

  • The earliest record of a dog license was documented in Utrecht, Holland, in 1446. The fee for the licence was paid in pounds of salt.
  • There is evidence that dogs were taxed in Germany as early as 1598. One of the oldest known surviving dog licenses dates from 1775 and is from Rostock, Germany.
  • The oldest known American dog license tag was dated 1853 issued by the Corporation of Fredericksburg (Virginia).
  • During WW2 dog license tags were made from pressed fibers because brass and aluminum were needed for making military supplies and ammunitions.

 

The tag below was found (buried in the ground) on Dallas Rd. on November 13, 2013.  Note the initials "V.C." stamped onto the tag.  It is believed that V.C. stands for: Victoria City.  This tag #376 is date stamped 1900.

The City of Victoria’s Annual Report for 1900 states there was $1,202.00 collected in Dog Tax and $441.40 collected in pound fees for the year.