Denver's most popular licensed dog breeds

For yet another year, Labrador retrievers, Chihuahuas and German shepherds led the list of Denver’s top dogs.

Driving the news: The reigning Chihuahua was unseated from its No. 1 spot in 2020 and replaced by the lab, based on an Axios Denver analysis of the city's 2021 dog registry.

The big picture: Dog owners self-report their pup's breed, so the city's data relies on their word.

• Denver Parks and Rec estimates the city is home to at least 158,000 dogs, though that number has yet to be updated based on the most recent census, spokesperson Cynthia Karvaski tells Axios.
• Only about 14,000 dogs — or less than 10% — are licensed, even though it is a legal requirement for all dogs and cats aged 6 months and older to be registered.

Of note: Since Denver Animal Protection's push to register more pets, dog licensing increased by 12% from 2020 to 2021, our analysis found.

Be smart: The city offers a QR code-equipped pet license tag that allows people to scan it with a smartphone camera and get the owner's contact information, pet medical records and more.

• Fees generated through pet licensing are used to fund animal protection, including care and investigations of reported strays.

ICYMI: Pit bull bites in 2021 outnumber those of any other breed

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