Backing for New Dog Licences?
While the RSPCA believes that a licence would be hugely beneficial in addressing many animal welfare concerns, the Dogs Trust has stated that it does not believe a return to the dog licence would provide the suggested welfare benefit for dogs.
In a survey commissioned by the RSPCA, 2 out of 3 dog owners (66%)* asked said that they would be in favour of a licence scheme. The RSPCA will be submitting these results in response to the consultation on dangerous dog legislation recently launched by the UK government.
In addition, 76% of all the people asked said that a dog licence should be enforced in England to help curb problems such as ‘puppy farms’, stray dogs, stolen dogs and animal abandonments.
Head of external affairs David Bowles said: “The RSPCA has been seriously considering a dog licence scheme as we feel it would provide an effective mechanism for tackling a whole raft of dog welfare problems. The income should be ring-fenced and ploughed into services such as an effective local dog warden service which could make a real difference to both dogs and their owners at a local level.
“An annual scheme would also help to ensure that contact details of owners are kept up to date so they can be reunited with their pet more easily if it is lost or stolen.”
The RSPCA also suggested the possibility that a reduction in the licence fee could apply for more responsible dog owners such as those who have their pets neutered.
In a survey commissioned by the RSPCA, 2 out of 3 dog owners asked said that they would be in favour of a licence scheme.
The charity states that the dog licence has been shown to be an ineffective measure in the UK. According to them, in Northern Ireland, where the dog licence is still a requirement, only an estimated one-third of all dog owners currently have their dogs licensed. Northern Ireland still has the highest number of stray dogs per head of population of any region in the UK and the number of dogs put to sleep in the region represents a staggering 34% of the total UK figure.
Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.
