To think dog licenses should be re-introduced

[copernicium]

Not as a government money making scheme or a paper exercise, but as somehow regulating dogs that are not being controlled or cared for as they should be. Like maybe as a way of funding some kind of "health visitor" role for dogs?

Just to add, I write this after being awoken at 6:30 every morning of my first annual leave since Christmas, by a lady with four dogs who has to chase them down the street, screaming and swearing at them as they bark and fight with each other. So I'm pissed off, but not anti-dog - next door have a beautiful large dog that you never hear, and is walked all the time.

Then there's the dog who howls and cries constantly for ten hours a day, whilst being locked in the garage while the owner is at work. It's actually a heart-breaking sound.

And the three dogs, including a husky, that never get walked, just let out to use the garden morning and night. Surely the owners can see they need exercise?

And that's just in my tiny street of 20 or so houses.

There just seems to be an increase in the amount of anti-social behaviour, and low level abuse towards dogs, that isn't governed by anyone - RSPCA aren't interested in a dog locked up in a garage all day, as it has access to food and water; no-one is interested in hours of barking as it isn't a certain level of noise. Ultimately, the dogs suffer as anyone can just go and buy one and no-one ever checks on them their entire life...

Absolutely
Though I'm a bit biased about unleashed dogs at the moment due to having my poor Huskie still recovering from an unprovoked dog attack (went for my ds and ddog who was leashed ds unharmed but shaken) who's owner grabbed her dog and literally ran away

Very bad idea. Would only make things worse

I’m a dog owner and would happily have one. Pic of my girl as I know we all live dog pics. Here she is with her brother from another mother.

Genuine question but how would a license help? I'm in NI and we still have them but don't get checks. We have a dog warden but you have to phone them to report anything. Do you not have a dog warden either?

A family in my area owns a dog who is quite impulsive, ran after me twice unleashed.

Would hate to walk past him with my kids

A licence wouldn't stop the things you have described.

I do think there needs to be more restrictions on certain larger breeds and guarding and fighting breeds. There should be a limit on how many you can have as well.

God no. Getting away from health visitors was one of the great things about leaving the UK. Now we can’t keep dogs without signing up to home visits from officious twerps?

I can’t see how it would achieve anything except yet another element of bureaucracy.

I that is the situation on your street, you should call the local dog warden. They do exist are probably the type of service that you are thinking about.

Except that the irresponsible people who need to get a dog licence are the people who never had one when they were compulsory, so it'll be a pointless exercise.

I agree. Paid license that then funds additional dog wardens. Also DNA test dogs so that people not picking up their dogs shit can be be identified. Would also make managing who is allowed dogs, restricting numbers owned etc much easier.

It’s pointless because good , responsible owners would get them and the kind of owners you are talking about wouldn’t bother and no one would do anything about it .

We already have one. It's called a microchip, and since the authorities haven't yet figured out how to make that happen despite it being the law, then reintroducing dogs licences will (a) never work because only the responsible will buy them, as happened in the past, and (b) won't do a thing to improve the way irresponsible owners act. I am fed up to the back teeth of strategies that penalise the responsible owners and dogs, but do nothing to curb the behaviour of people who actually cause the problems. If society doesn't care enough to fund and support proper enforcement then why should I fund it through a stealth tax that the irresponsible irresponsible don't pay? I'll pay for it when I get a tax refund on schools - I don't use them so why should I pay for them?

It’s pointless because good , responsible owners would get them and the kind of owners you are talking about wouldn’t bother and no one would do anything about it .

Licensing scheme would pay for enforcement.

I wish they would. Preferably one you had to pass a test. Just some basic knowledge.
Puppies bite.
The law and dogs.
Is my dog friendly or rude?
No you can’t leave a puppy 10 hours a day.
Hot days and dogs.
Not rocket science. But some people impulse buy online and have no idea at all. Even that dogs should wear a tag in public.

@Cocolapew yes we do but if you call them, they want to know if they are secure and if they have water. They aren't interested in the general day to day, bad care and annoying behaviour.

@VinylDetective I'm probably living in a dream world to think it could just help to fund something that could help, rather than just lead to more red tape

Yes, absolutely and add a dna test rather than a microchip.

@Wolfiefan yes this too!

The licensing fee wouldn’t pay for it , how many cars drive around with no tax and insurance and that’s supposed to be monitored , these systems don’t work .

I think that there should be a licence to keep dogs and that the money from it should pay for effective dog warden patrols.

But floralnomad is right. If we can’t get people to pay for car tax and insurance, I doubt we’ll get them to pay for their dog.

As per, law abiding good owners would do this and there’d be a load of unlicensed animals still hanging about, causing money to be spent on chasing crap owners.

I don’t know whether licensing would work as it didn’t work before but something definitely needs to be done .
I’m fed up to the back teeth of hearing of people buying puppies then going out to work for the whole day.
I’m fed up of seeing dangerous dogs and even banned breeds still being offered for sale and bought.
I’m fed up of seeing an increasing amount of dog poo on the streets
I’m fed up of seeing trendy cross breeds and particular pedigrees that are bought almost like fashion statements.
Don’t get me started on puppy farms.

I don't know that a license would do much. There are already laws around chipping dogs, controlling dogs, dog waste, neglect and cruelty but they aren't enforced. Really I think there are some pretty weird and unhealthy attitudes towards dogs that is mostly cultural - entitlement, anthropomorphism, elements of magical thinking, lax safety considerations for example - that are at the root of the problem with the impact of dog ownership. And it is a problem.

I was thinking the license fee would pay for the enforcement.