Do you think that dog licences should be reintroduced?

Question

Dogs are a real nuisance if not properly controlled.

They cause havoc in the countryside because the majority of non-farming countryside dwellers leave their dogs loose in the garden to bark all day whilst they go off to work in town.

The dogs get out and kill sheep and wildlife, stampede horses and kill chickens.

If they were licenced, they should carry a metal tag that could be traced to there owners and the appropriate penalties applied. Nowadays, it is left to the local authoraties to oversee dog control, but they are hopeless at it because they only provide a very small number of dog wardens. Our county has only two!

Farmers have a right to shoot any dog that enters his land, but he has no way of getting compensation because there is no way of identifying the owner.

Answer 1

It's still law. I think that it should be enforced EVERYWHERE!

Unfortunately it's not. I think dog problems in general would probably be reduced by 90% just by that.

Answer 2

I agree that there should be more dog wardens but strongly diagree that they are rubbish at their jobs!!!
Dog licences did work when the were about but it was not foolproof.
People would forget to put the tags on the dogs (if they had one) and it did not make the owners responsible even if they did have licences. The other point is who would actually police it? Would each Local authority provide more dog wardens? I think not.
Just because a dog has a licence does not mean it would be under proper control at all times.
Lets not forget here that dogs are NOT a problem, irresponsible owners are.
Micro chipping of dogs is a very good form of identification but even with this, people will not always keep their details up to date which is so frustrating.
No easy answer to this problem I'm afraid.

Dog Warden Supervisor

Answer 3

Firstly, I live in the country and am not a farmer but my dog is never allowed to do any of things you mention! I realy take exception to being grouped with irresponsible people. When I walk my dog he is only allowed off the lead where there is no stock. I try not to even walk him through a field containing livestock unless there is absolutely no alternative.
Secondly a licence wouldn't work. If people are irresponsible enough to allow there dogs to do all those things then they simply won't buy a licence or tag there dogs. If the dog is caught they would deny it was theres.
Thirdly farmers don't have the right to shoot dogs on there land unless it is doing damage.
I know a lot of responsible dog owners but there is one 'farm' dog in our village which is allowed to wander the countryside and will attack another dog without provocation.

Answer 4

Although it is a law in most states I do not believe in it and I think licensing is nothing but trouble.

Dog licenses are just a way for the government to keep track of our dogs and I do not think it is any of the governments business to know how many dogs I have, what breed I own, whether they have been spayed or neutered and whether they have received all the recommended vaccinations. There are too many breed bans and mandatory spay and neuter laws coming up for me to think that dog licenses are a good idea.

As far as the license goes in my city it is only $10 for an unaltered dog and $5 for an altered dog but I think the harm they can do far out weighs their benefits.
A dog license will not reduce the amount of problems or bites caused by dogs because the irresponsible dog owners would not get them anyway.Responsible dog owners would not allow their dogs to roam free to cause problems or bite people, so what is licensing going to solve or accomplish?

Answer 5

What would be the point? no-one would police it! the new animal law that was introduced recently isn't policed, only law abiding citizens would buy licenses, I live on a working farm, horses, cattle & occasionally sheep, I've never had any livestock killed, I'm not saying it never happens I know that it does, I don't think a license would make any kind of difference, and what wildlife are we talking about? Rabbits, Foxes Squirrels? they in turn cause a lot of damage to farms, crops/chickens etc, squirrels take bird eggs, my 4 dogs have killed numerous rabbits, it is good that they do with the amount of Myxomatosis around at the moment, a man made disease which is so barbaric, if you have ever seen a rabbit with it you will know what I am talking about! Foxes are the biggest killers of chickens, along with Badgers who of course are protected, Badgers will get underneath a chicken coop and chew the chickens feet off! I have never know dogs to do that! Killer domestic dogs are a very small proportion in comparison

Answer 6

There are very few dogs that get loose and kill sheep and wildlife etc and those that do tend to get shot or injured. I don't really think that it is worthwhile to administer licencing for all dogs just to be able to contact and prosecute the owners of dogs that escape. Invariably the dogs are loose because they are stray/accidently escaped/poor controled. None of those situations would suit prosecution anyway.
It would be incredibly expensive to set up and enforce a licence system which is why they gave it up in the first place.

Answer 7

As a dog owner I agree to introducing the licence again. It is not the dogs that are the real nuisance but the irresponsible owners. Perhaps having to pay out for a licence and renew it yearly might make some people think twice about keeping a dog if they can't look after it properly.

Answer 8

We don't have licensing in the UK and I think that's wrong. Technically we are in control of a potentially lethal animal and any responsible owner should want to prove that their dog is under control and getting the best possible life. That's what licensing would mean to me anyway. Having said that, some people want to charge £50 for a license and that would be catastrophic for dogs belonging to less well-off owners.

Answer 9

You are given to a little exaggeration but I think that I know what you mean!
I WOULD like to see licencing re-introduced in UK, however it has got to be more effective than it was before. It should cost a substantial amount to start with but with discretion for the elderly etc.
The biggest licencing I would like to see is for BREEDING! There would have to be registered licenced breeders obviously but ALL others should have to get a licence from the local authority.Even for one litter and even then, they should have a very good reason for wanting (needing!) to breed. It is the backstreet breeder that is ruining the dogs purely for profit.
On these pages we see time after time that people want to breed just to let their little doggie have puppies! This needs controlling and with severe penalties should the rules be transgressed.

Answer 10

How would people get these licences, buying them? Don't you think this would carry on happening despite them being bought?

If farmers shot the dog with a tranquilizer perhaps they would have a chance of finding the owners. Perhaps if it was law for all puppies to be chipped then they would definately find the owner. I don't think a bit of paper makes any difference.

Answer 11

where I live you have to get rabies and license your dog.
However there is no leash law so basically teh only law is that if they bite a person. If tehy come on your property and attack your animal it's up to you to find out who teh owner is and spend the money to file a charge to go to court. Animal control doesn't do anything and If you call them about an animal without tags they come to your house and harrass you about your animals.
A farmer can shoot a dog but a town person can't do anything include use a bb gun.
I have a stray dog no collar coming to my house and trying to go after my cat.
I would bring my cat in but he is a cat that will go through a window to get back outside. I have tried.
What is needed is a leash law requiring dogs to be confined.