Westfield’s Top Dog for 2025 is “Dana,” a 7-year old Carolina Dog rescue owned by Nicole Lussier, who has been sporting Westfield Dog Tag #1 all year. The deadline for submissions for Top Dog 2026 is Nov. 1.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
WESTFIELD — City Clerk Kaitlyn Bruce said in less than 24 hours after announcing the kickoff for the 2026 Top Dog competition, she already received 15 entries.
The contest, which is in its third year, offers residents the opportunity to have their loyal companions compete for Westfield’s next “Top Dog,” while at the same time promoting dog licenses in the city, as all participants must have a valid license.
According to Bruce, licensing helps prevent rabies outbreaks by requiring a certificate of vaccination for all dogs. It also increases the chance that you will be reunited with your pet in the unfortunate event they are lost.
To enter the friendly competition, visit cityofwestfield.org/894/Westfields-Top-Dog. Photos should contain the image of only one dog.
Residents who own more than one dog may enter each of them separately. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 1.
The top five submissions will be uploaded to the city’s website for public voting from Dec. 1-23. The submission that receives the most votes from the general public will be the winner. The first place winner will receive dog tag No. 1 for 2026, and their dog’s photo will be framed and hung in City Hall as well as placed on the city’s web page. Second and third place winners will receive dog tags Nos. 2 and 3.
On Jan. 1, Bruce announced that the winner of the second annual Westfield Top Dog Contest was “Dana,” a 7-year old Carolina Dog rescue owned by Nicole Lussier, who has been wearing Westfield Dog Tag No. 1 in 2025.
Bruce said out of the 72 entrants, six finalists were selected based on their special stories, stand out photos and connection to the community. Out of the 2,259 votes cast, Dana won the title of Top Dog with 899 votes.
“Dana is a rescue dog. She was homeless on the streets of Texas. I pledged to rescue her the day she was supposed to be euthanized. She came to [Massachusetts] with a truckload of other dogs and had serious heart worms. With a lot of TLC from Westfield VCA, and an overload of love from me, she overcame her health complications. With a lot of patience, trust and consistency, Dana learned that she was loved and in her forever home. Dana is now a registered therapy dog and enjoys visiting nursing homes for lots of pets. She La La La loves living in Westfield,” Lussier wrote in her submission to the contest.
Massachusetts General Law requires that all dogs aged 6 months and older be licensed each year. A current rabies certificate is required at the time of registration for all new licenses and renewals. A spayed/neutered certificate is also required (unless noted on rabies certificate).
Effective January, the dog licensing period changed to April 30, 2025, to May 1, 2026. Licensing fees are $15 for neutered or spayed dogs, and $30 for dogs that are unneutered or unspayed.
A memo including a dog license registration form and the attached renewal fees will be enclosed in the annual City Census, which is mailed to all households in January. Email reminders will be sent up until April 1, 2026. Failure to license a dog or dogs by April 30, 2026, will result in a $50 fine per dog in addition to the licensing fee.
“It’s a Massachusetts law, all dogs 6 months or older must be licensed each year. Anyone who doesn’t register by the end of April is subject to that $50 fine,” Bruce said.
Licenses may be renewed in person at the license division of the city clerk’s office, 59 Court St., Room 217, Westfield, MA 01085, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If paying by mail, checks should be made payable to the city of Westfield with a self-addressed, stamped envelope enclosed if ordering via mail. A current rabies certificate is required at the time of registration for all new licenses and renewals. A spayed/neutered certificate is also required — unless noted on the rabies certificate
For any additional questions on dog licenses, call the Licensing Division at 413-642-9394.
