ohmidog!

  Registering one’s dog can now be done in a New York minute, at least in New York.

  New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says replacing the old paper system with online licensing — accessed through www.nyc.gov — will cut the waiting period for new licenses and renewals in half, to about 10 days.

   ”I’ve always believed in the power of technology to make government more open and accessible to the people it is supposed to serve,” said Bloomberg, who owns two Chocolate Labs named Bonnie and Clyde.   City officials also expect that, with only about 20 percent of the city’s estimated half million dogs licensed, the registration numbers will rise.  Bloomberg and the city’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, traveled to Hillside Dog Park in Brooklyn Heights on Monday to announce the news, according to the New York Times.  One of the goals of the new system, he explained, is to encourage more people to license their dogs.

  The new system is not 100 percent electronic — those applying for licenses print out a pdf from the website, fill it out and mail it in with their check. In New York, the fee for first-time dog licenses is $11.50. Renewals cost $8.50 if the dog has been spayed or neutered, $11.50 if it has not.