Should dog licensing be reintroduced in the UK?
September 1, 2010 | 5 Responses
The RSPCA has called for dog licences to be brought back as according to the welfare group this could help reduce the number of strays and also stop irresponsible dog breeding in the UK. Most European countries currently have a dog licence or registration scheme in place and the RSPCA says that the small licence fee of £21.50 per year could help tackling these problems. The RSPCA’s director of communications David Bowles said: ‘A dog licence would raise money which could be targeted into improving enforcement of laws at a local level, improve the welfare of dogs, and reverse the use of certain breeds of dogs as a status symbol or weapon.’ The plan is that dogs such as assistance dogs and neutered dogs would have a reduced licence fee and people such as pensioners could also receive a discount. All in all, according to Mr Bowles dog licences would raise money for dog welfare, increase the numbers of responsible dog owners and start to reverse the surplus of dogs on the market.
Do you think dog licences should be reintroduced? Do you believe that this will help the welfare of dogs and the growing problem of dangerous dogs?
Owning a pet is a big responsibility so make sure you take out dog insurance by visiting www.pet-insurance.co.uk and you will get and instant quotation and a 20% online discount.
i’m not from UK, but i like the idea.. i wish it would be implemented in my country too
Yes please!! Bring back Licences for Dogs immediately.
I live in South East London and have a 9 yr old Rhodesian Ridgeback. My dog is well-trained and well-behaved. I have no end of problems with other dog owners whose dogs are out of control and the owners have no idea how or what to do, nor do they seem able to read the obvious signs their dogs are giving out.
Together with the Licencing, I strongly believe there should be a mandatory requirement to attend dog training classes (for a period) in order to expose the crazy people who are deliberately training their dogs to be aggressive and unsociable.
For example: A group of young boys were hanging around in my road, one with a rottweiler-cross. The dog owner repeatedly punched his dog in the muzzle with a large bunch of keys until the dog ‘went for’ him. The boys all laughed and then the dog owner did this again and again.
My neighbour opposite watching, equally horrified, called out of the window to him to stop, which led to the boys throwing a brick through the window, before they ran off.
Please, please, what can I do to help get Licencing reintroduced. This is a situation which is escalating and should be controlled as soon as possible.
Licencing is such an obvious answer.
I think some form of license should be re-introduced as dogs can be used as effective weapons & can be dangerous in the wrong hands. The license should be linked to some sort of accredited training, to ensure that every dog owner has completed a basic training course on care of & control of their animal. (A bit like a motorcycle CBT). However, there should be some roll-over rights so dog owners with a license who have completed an approved training course would not have to re-attend every time they got another dog.
I also believe that unless an owner can demonstrate they are responsible & have a genuine reason for breeding a dog, that all dogs should be registered with a vet before they are purchased, & then neutered as soon as they are old enough, to reduce the amount of unwanted animals.
I believe all dogs should be licenced , hopefully this would bring to a end dogs being abandand & also being bred as fighting dogs. I also believe all dogs should be chipped.
I work but don’t earn a lot of money. My two dogs are very much loved,micro chipped, neutered ,insured and fully up to date on their vaccinations. I would find it very difficult to pay for a licence given my current financial circumstances. I don’t think it’s fair to further penalise responsible dog owners.