WESTBROOK – Westbrook’s animal control officer, Phil Hebert, is giving residents one last warning to get their dogs licensed before he starts knocking on doors.

Hebert said he will begin making house calls to the 500 or so homes that obtained dog licenses last year but haven’t renewed them yet. Owners with unlicensed dogs could face a court summons and fines up to $100.

“It happens every year,” Hebert said. “You get some people who take care of it right off the bat in January and many who wait.”

Hebert said of the 1,612 licenses issued last year, roughly 500 need to be renewed. He said while some people may have moved away or the dogs have died, many are still overdue. Hebert said when he first got the list at the beginning of February, there were 1,000 licenses that needed renewal. That number declined in the last month, but, he said, he hasn’t issued many new licenses in the past few days.

Sometimes owners will not license their dogs, and Hebert has no way to keep track of those animals until someone complains about the dog, whether it’s barking or loose in the city. In those cases, Hebert will issue a warning and give the owners a week or two, depending on the situation, to get a license before he comes back and issues a summons.

“It’s an ongoing attempt up into October, then it starts all over again,” Hebert said.

Dog licenses expire on Dec. 31 of each year. From October until the end of January, licenses cost $6 for dogs who have been spayed or neutered and $11 for those who have not. On Feb. 1, a $25 late fee is added to the total cost.

The licensing program works as a way to keep track of the dogs and to make sure owners get their animals vaccinated against rabies.

According to the city website, up to 90 percent of all dog license fees go to the Maine Animal Welfare Program, and the license fees account for 95 percent of the program’s entire funding.

All dogs older than 6 months must be licensed in the town where they reside.

Renewing a license can be done online through the city’s website, by mail or in person at City Hall.