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Hooksett council approves civil forfeiture warrant after town clerk reports drop in unlicensed dogs
Summary
Town Clerk reported drop from about 440 unlicensed dogs to roughly 220 after outreach; council voted to authorize civil forfeiture warrant to pursue remaining unregistered dogs under state law.
Hooksett — The Hooksett Town Council voted July 9 to approve a civil forfeiture warrant that would allow the town to pursue enforcement against owners of unlicensed dogs after Town Clerk Karina reported a substantial decline in unlicensed animals following an outreach campaign.
Karina told the council she and staff had sent overdue dog-license notices instead of immediately pursuing forfeiture, and that outreach and online registrations had reduced the list of unlicensed dogs from about 440 to roughly 220. She presented the council with a private list of remaining unregistered dogs and a sample notice and warrant document she planned to use if the council authorized enforcement.
The council discussed how the statute is set by the state of New Hampshire and asked for clarification on fees and the civil-forfeiture process. Karina said the civil forfeiture fee on the warrant itself is $25, late fees currently aggregate at $1 per month (June and July example), and the town may now charge the actual certified-mail cost (about $10) rather than a capped amount. She estimated a typical single-year forfeiture notice fee might run about $36–$42, but said unpaid cases that accumulate across years can produce much larger bills.
Resident comments and council questions addressed past cases in which residents received much larger bills; Karina said she could not explain prior historical bills but described current charges and the recent change allowing the town to charge actual certified-mail costs. State Representative Yuri Polozov later told the meeting that dog licensing and its connection to rabies vaccination are being discussed in the state legislature and encouraged the council to share local implementation concerns with state lawmakers.
After discussion, Councilor (name recorded in the minutes as) made a motion to approve the civil forfeiture process for 2025 as presented by the town clerk; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
The council and clerk repeatedly emphasized that licensing is the dog owner’s responsibility and noted low tag prices: $6.50 for spayed/neutered, $9 if not; senior and multi-dog discounts also apply. Karina said tags are available starting in January and that owners may register by mail, online, or in person.
