Dog owners buy licenses after tickets threatened

Because of a threat by Chicago officials, hundreds of dog owners are rushing to city offices to purchase the dog licenses they have thumbed their noses at for years.

Officials say more than 2,200 dog licenses have been sold in the two weeks since reports that the city was preparing to ticket Chicago dog owners who didn't have them. The surge has generated $20,000 in revenue.

Animal Care and Control Commission executive director Cherie Travis estimates less than 5 percent of Chicago dog owners buy licenses. Fines for not getting a tag range from $30 to $200.

If the animal is spayed or neutered, tags cost $5 a year. If not, it costs $50 a year. Seniors pay $2.50 a year for sterilized animals and $5 for those that aren't.