State dog warden assigned to Butler County
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture recently hired Cole Redrup, of Ellwood City, as a state dog warden for Region 4, which includes Butler County.
County Treasurer Diane Marburger introduced Redrup at Wednesday’s county commissioner’s meeting. He said his last job was a zoo keeper at Keystone Safari in Mercer County.
Marburger said the county hasn’t had a dog warden in three or four years, and took the opportunity to encourage dog owners to buy licenses for their pets.
She said an annual license costs $8.70 and lifetime licenses cost $52.70. For senior citizens 65 and older, annual licenses cost $6.70 and lifetime licenses cost $36.70.
Licenses can be purchased by phone, mail or online, but convenience fees are added to the cost of online purchases.
Marburger stressed the importance of dog licenses. She said a county resident with a licensed dog that got lost while the resident was on vacation in Tennessee received a call from that state saying the dog had been found three months after the resident returned home.
According to the Department of Agriculture, all dogs must be licensed by the time they reach 3 months of age.
Dog wardens randomly canvass neighborhoods to ensure all dogs are licensed, and can file citations against violators. They also enforce rabies laws, seize and detain dogs running lose, investigate dog bites, enforce dog quarantines, enforce kennel licensing, perform dangerous dog inspections, prosecute dog law violations and provide educational services about dog ownership.
Wardens do not oversee or have jurisdiction over animal cruelty, but receive humane officer training, which teaches them about what to look for in kennels and other situations where animal cruelty may be present. If a warden suspects cruelty, they will refer the case to a humane society police officer or police officer for official investigation.
