Kennel Club Seeks Amendments to New Dog Bill
Proposals contained within the Bill include:
- The introduction of compulsory microchipping of dogs;
- An increase in the cost of the existing dog licence;
- Amendments to existing legislation on dangerous dogs to include attacks taking place on private property and dog on dog attacks; and
- The introduction of a range of dog ‘control conditions’ which can be imposed on dog licenses.
The Bill seeks to increase the cost of the existing dog licence, despite reports that a large percentage of owners in Northern Ireland currently flout the law by not obtaining one. The Kennel Club opposes licensing and sees the rising cost as a further tax on the responsible dog owners who annually renew and update their dog licence as required. The licence fee is also not ring fenced therefore giving no guarantee that the money will be put back into animal welfare.
The Kennel Club does, however, welcome the extension of current legislation to include attacks on private property given that a large proportion of dog attacks occur in the home and involve a dog known to the victim. This will place greater responsibility on owners to ensure that their dogs are not out of control in any place (subject to various exemptions such as provocation).
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Communications Director, said: “Whilst we welcome the Assembly’s actions in updating largely ineffective and out of date legislation in respect of dogs, we have a great number of concerns regarding the Dogs (Amendment) Bill in its current form. The Kennel Club welcomes new offences covering dog on dog attacks and the extension of current ‘dangerous dogs’ legislation to private as well as public land, however we wholeheartedly oppose breed specific legislation which has already been proven not to reduce dog attacks or better protect the public.
We will be contacting MLA’s to discuss our concerns and suggest amendments to ensure the fairest outcome for both the general public and the dogs themselves.”
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
