Attention dog owners: It's that time again.

Lawrence County dog tags will go on sale Dec. 1. Shannon Neal, deputy dog warden for Lawrence County, said all dogs in the county are required to have a tag.

&#8220This is important,” Neal said. &#8220If a dog is lost and we pick up that dog, the tag allows us to identify that dog and who it belongs to. That tag may even save the dog's life.”

The dog tags are important for a second reason: Dog tag sales fund the county dog pound.

Dogs tags are $8 for each dog, $40 for each kennel.

This year, four Lawrence County businesses have agreed to be satellite centers and will sell dog tags on behalf of the county. In addition to the Lawrence County Auditor's Office and the dog pound, tags will also be on sale at Petland of South Point, the Chesapeake Veterinary Clinic, Dickess Market at Aid and at Kenny Queen Ace Hardware in Proctorville. If the tag is purchased at a satellite station, there is an additional 50 cent charge.

&#8220We do this for the convenience of the dog owners,” Neal explained. &#8220This way, people in, say, Proctorville and Chesapeake don't have to drive all the way to Ironton to buy their tags.”

Tags may also be purchased by mail through the auditor's office.

Last year, approximately 5,000 tags were sold.