Register a Dog or Cat
All pets must be registered.
Required: Proof of rabies vaccination and applicable fee.
📬 Submit form, proof of vaccination, and fee to City Hall for approval.
Why Does the City Require Pet Registration?
We hear this question from time to time, and it’s a fair one! Pet registration is about more than just paperwork — it’s one of the ways the City of Holstein works to keep our community safe, healthy, and connected.
Protecting Public Health
As part of the registration process, the City requires proof of current rabies vaccination for all dogs and cats. Rabies is a serious — and fatal — disease that can be transmitted to humans and other animals. Requiring vaccination as a condition of registration helps ensure that pets in Holstein are protected, and that our community is safeguarded against the spread of this disease.
Supporting Animal Control Services
The City of Holstein contracts with an animal shelter to provide impoundment services for stray and loose animals. Pet registration fees help offset the cost of this contract, ensuring there is always a safe place for animals to go when they are picked up. Without this service, stray animals would have no local resource for care or placement.
Helping Reunite Lost Pets with Their Owners
Registration creates a record connecting your pet to you. If your animal is ever found and brought in, city staff can quickly look up the owner and get your pet home faster. It’s one of the simplest and most effective tools we have for reuniting families with their furry friends.
Where Does the Fee Go?
Registration fees are deposited into the City’s General Fund and help support the ongoing costs of animal control, including our shelter contract, staff response time for animal complaints, and record maintenance. These are real services that benefit every pet owner — and every neighbor — in Holstein.
Questions about pet registration? Contact City Hall at (712) 368-4375 or stop in during regular business hours. Registration forms are available at the front desk.