Six officers met Wood County Assessor John Kelly and Deputy Assessor Connie McAtee in front of the police memorial Tuesday to receive their dog tags. (Photo by Matty Lamp)

PARKERSBURG – On Tuesday morning, the Wood County Assessor’s Office welcomed six K-9s and their handlers to receive dog tags to kick off the start of the dog tag registration season for Wood County.

This is the first ceremony that the assessors have held for the K-9s and handlers in Wood County to present them with their dog tags.

“In the past, previous assessors have provided the dogs tags only for the county K-9s,” said Wood County Assessor John Kelly. “I want to provide all of our founding K-9s with 2025-2026 dog tags.”

He also said the ceremony provided the opportunity to both recognize the hard work of the K-9s and handlers and to bring attention to the importance of dog tags for both K-9s and residential dogs.

The handlers that attended the brief ceremony include Sgt. Jeff Kidder and Sgt. Taylor Phillips from the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, Patrolman P.J. Polsey from the Vienna Police Department, and Private First Class Jacob Dennison, Private First Class Austin Davis, and Detective Dan Miller from the Parkersburg Police Department.

Wood County Assessor John Kelly handed each officer their dog tags after announcing names of the officers and K-9s present. (Photo by Matty Lamp)

Kelly announced the names of each K-9 and handler at the ceremony and handed each handler their K-9’s registered dog identification tags, which are active from 2025 to 2026.

“I thank each handler for the service that they provide and each K-9 for their service. These handlers are every bit as important as these dogs are, and they go through a massive amount of training,” said Kelly. “These dogs have to be trained a little bit every day and brought up to standard, and these handlers do a phenomenal job. We’re so fortunate to have them.”

Chief Deputy Assessor Connie McAtee said it’s very important for residents to register their dogs so that in the event that a dog goes missing and someone finds it, the Wood County Assessor’s Office can look up the dog’s tag number and find the dog’s name, breed, and contact information to help the finder reconnect the dog with its owner. She said it is also state code in both West Virginia and Ohio for each dog to be registered with a tag.

Owners of dogs who have a history of violent behavior can also purchase a vicious dog tag to notify people to be cautious around the dog if it is found.

The Wood County Assessor’s Office sells dog tags year-round, but tags must be renewed between July 1 and Sept. 30 each year. Each dog tag is $6 for those living in Vienna or Williamstown and $3 for Parkersburg or in any other Wood County location. To purchase a dog tag as a Wood County resident, atop by the Judge Black Annex in Parkersburg or contact the local humane society.

Private First Class Austin Davis of the Parkersburg Police Department accepted the dog tag for K-9 Qwerty on Tuesday. (Photo by Matty Lamp)

“We want people to realize that with the dog tags, nobody wants to spend more money than they have to, but it’s $3 to ensure that you can find them,” said McAtee. “Our dog was lost, somebody had the tag, they knew our number, they called us, and that was it.”

If you find a lost dog in Wood County that has a tag, call 304-424-1875 and ask to speak to the personal property division. To learn more about dog tags and personal property, you can visit woodcountywv.com.

Detective Dan Miller of the Parkersburg Police Department accepted the dog tag for K-9 Nyland. (Photo by Matty Lamp)

Patrolman P.J. Polsey of the Vienna Police Department accepted the dog tag for K-9 Tyson. (Photo by Matty Lamp)

Sgt. Taylor Phillips of the Wood County Sheriff's Department accepted the dog tag for K-9 Demon. (Photo by Matty Lamp)

Sgt. Jeff Kidder of the Wood County Sheriff's Department accepted the dog tag for K-9 Maggie. (Photo by Matty Lamp)

Private First Class Jacob Dennison of the Parkersburg Police Department accepted the dog tag for K-9 Alex. (Photo by Matty Lamp)