News Detail

Franklin County Treasurer’s Office Receives Unique, Historic Dog License Collection

Treasurer

December 16, 2025

Pictured (from left): Erik Vandrew, Carl Shields, Franklin County Dog Warden Georgia Martin, Franklin County Treasurer Melody Shuman and chief deputy treasurer Trina Panagos

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – Visitors to the Franklin County Treasurer’s Office can now see a bit of local history spanning more than a century, thanks to a new, one-of-a-kind donation on display to the public.

Franklin County Dog Warden Georgia Martin recently donated a collection of metal dog licenses, dating back to 1911, and an assortment of other materials to the treasurer’s office. In Pennsylvania, the county treasurer serves as the primary agent on behalf of the state for the sale of certain permits and licenses, including dog licenses.

Martin has collected Franklin County dog licenses over her nearly 30 years as dog warden “with no real plan of what to do with them.” Earlier this year she decided to give the collection to the treasurer’s office.

“My heart was full when I made the donation,” said Martin. “This is where they belong.”

To showcase the decades-worth of licenses, the treasurer’s office turned to Carl Shields of Good Stuff Custom Cabinetry, Chambersburg, who built and donated a custom display case for the tags. The case was then fitted with a special UV-filtered plexiglass, donated by Erik Vandrew of Route 11 Glass, Chambersburg. Franklin County Chief Deputy Treasurer Trina Panagos researched and organized the collection, now on display at the treasurer’s office, located in the Franklin County Administration Building, 272 N. Second St., Chambersburg.

“We are grateful to Warden Martin for entrusting our office with her collection,” said Franklin County Treasurer Melody Shuman. “We are hopeful that visitors will come to the treasurer’s office to view the collection.”

Martin donated a variety of other materials, including booklets, kennel certificates, pamphlets and a dog tag celebrating Franklin County’s centennial in 1884. Those items have been entrusted to the county’s archives department at 340 N. Second St., Chambersburg, for safe keeping and future use.

Despite the large number of donated licenses, the collection is incomplete. A number of metal tags are missing, including those issued before 1911 as well as for the years 1912, 1923, 1929, 1943, 1944, 1951, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2025.

Members of the public who have any of these missing licenses and would like to donate them to the collection should contact the Franklin County Treasurer’s Office at 717-261-3120 or treasurers@franklincountypa.gov to learn more.