Some dog owners admit to getting a little freaked out when they see the long arm of the law in the form of a dog warden on their property wanting to check on whether their animals are properly licensed and had their rabies shots.

According to the state Department of Agriculture, dog wardens were spotchecking Carbon dogs during April. Another round of checks, this time in the Weissport area, has been scheduled for the week of June 25. A department spokesperson said these checks are often done in areas where there is a suspicion that there are more unlicensed dogs than normal or where there have been public complaints.

Random checks also were made in Schuylkill, Northampton, Lehigh and Monroe counties in May.

The goal is to keep pets and humans safe by making sure they have their rabies shots. Most dog-owners are fine with this and are happy to comply to make sure that they are caring for their animals properly, but others are annoyed by the intrusion.

Some cite the visits as a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment and insist that the wardens have no right to enter their property without a warrant. Any time someone comes on your property uninvited, it is – technically – trespassing. You don’t have to answer questions, and you don’t have to invite them into your home.

If the wardens don’t have a warrant, a pet-owner is not required to answer any questions or provide documentation. Still, most attorneys I spoke with recommend cooperating with reasonable checks. Just get your dog licensed – it’s the law. That’s the easiest and quickest way to avoid trouble.

The Agriculture Department said wardens will not enter a home or building without the owner’s permission. Their statutory authority has this to say: ``A dog warden or employee of the department may enter into a home or other building only with the permission of the occupant or with a duly issued search warrant.”

If wardens encounter pet-owners and their dogs in public venues, that is a different story. These owners must comply with reasonable requests for information and verification or face citations.

An Agriculture Department spokesperson said there were 803 citations issued for license violations and 922 for failure to have rabies shots in 2017.

All dogs three months or older must be licensed by Jan. 1 of each year. Violators can be cited with a maximum fine of $300 per violation plus court costs. An annual license is $8.50 and a lifetime license is $51.50. If the animal is spayed or neutered, the annual fee is $6.50 and the lifetime fee is $31.50. Discounts are available to older adults and people with disabilities. The small license fee helps the millions of dogs in the state by funding the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement.

These dogs also need rabies shots, and when a warden appears, he or she will ask to see the license and proof of the rabies vaccination.

Dog licenses are available from your county treasurer’s office or from other licensing agents. A list of these Carbon County outlets appeared in Tuesday’s Times News.

By BRUCE FRASSINELLI | tneditor@tnonline.com