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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think they should bring back dog licenses

80 replies

trudynotmoody · 14/08/2023 16:12

I think most dog owners are responsible and careful, but having dog licences might at least make some people think twice before getting one. The money could be used for RSPCA vets for people who can't afford vets bills.

OP posts:
Blossomtoes · 14/08/2023 22:26

Nor do responsible and loving dog owners.

Keepingthingsinteresting · 14/08/2023 22:26

ginghamstarfish · 14/08/2023 17:08

Good idea in theory, but impossible to police. Better to require ALL dogs to be muzzled and leashed in any public place, and owners having to maintain a suitable fence around their property. I can't believe how these fecking things are attacking and killing people every other day and no-one is doing anything about it. Personally I'd like to see them cease to exist, except perhaps for the very few useful working animals such as sniffer dogs, as they are not only utterly pointless and unnecessary but cause such problems to society, and are such a massive waste of resources.

Well aren’t you a delight. My dog rings me endless joy and without her I’m not sur show I’d have got through the pandemic. She cause no issues to anyone else, is well trained and socialised and I have never failed to pick up a poo.

Unless you have always been perfect maybe back off a bit and stop being so miserable.

I bet you’re a cat person, which says it all.

Copperoliverbear · 14/08/2023 22:26

100 %

XenoBitch · 14/08/2023 22:27

Keepingthingsinteresting · 14/08/2023 22:26

Well aren’t you a delight. My dog rings me endless joy and without her I’m not sur show I’d have got through the pandemic. She cause no issues to anyone else, is well trained and socialised and I have never failed to pick up a poo.

Unless you have always been perfect maybe back off a bit and stop being so miserable.

I bet you’re a cat person, which says it all.

They post on all dog threads about how awful and dangerous dogs are.

I would like to see proof that someone is being killed every other day by a dog.

Blossomtoes · 14/08/2023 22:28

Same @Keepingthingsinteresting. Not only does my dog bring me joy but numerous other people too.

OnTheBoardwalk · 14/08/2023 22:30

Ok this is new to me. I remember my Grandma having her paper dog licence hung up in the hall incase anyone came knocking to check

are microchips mandatory for dogs? I assume so? They are soon to be compulsory for cats next year. What 's the difference?

vodkaredbullgirl · 14/08/2023 22:33

OnTheBoardwalk · 14/08/2023 22:30

Ok this is new to me. I remember my Grandma having her paper dog licence hung up in the hall incase anyone came knocking to check

are microchips mandatory for dogs? I assume so? They are soon to be compulsory for cats next year. What 's the difference?

Been mandatory for dogs since 2016.

XenoBitch · 14/08/2023 22:33

OnTheBoardwalk · 14/08/2023 22:30

Ok this is new to me. I remember my Grandma having her paper dog licence hung up in the hall incase anyone came knocking to check

are microchips mandatory for dogs? I assume so? They are soon to be compulsory for cats next year. What 's the difference?

Microchips have been mandatory for dogs since 2016. They are not expensive.. cost about £10.

I am not sure about cats or when a law will come in for them. FB community groups are full of missing/deceased cats with no ID. You rarely see the same about dogs.

jlpth · 14/08/2023 22:34

ActDottie · 14/08/2023 18:50

I have two dogs and I’m responsible they’re both insured, on vet wellness plan and chipped.

Why should responsible dog owners have to have yet another cost for having a dog?

My dog is the same as yours - insured, chipped, on wellness plan.

But I really think we do have a dog problem that dog owners collectively need to help solve. My dh was walking my dog once and out of a bush flew a very big dog who growled like a monster, literally floored my dh, got my dog onto his back and was about to kill him when the owner managed to grab the big dog - prompting a big bite with blood everywhere and both running away. To say nothing of the dog turd all over the streets.

Strangeish · 14/08/2023 22:41

I don't think it's workable. I also don't think it will achieve a reduction in bites or welfare standards

Things like car tax are workable because of cameras registering number plates and because your car is parked outside your house. How would you know who is registered? How would people be found?

As some that works in animal welfare, you absolutely should not enforce this in a way that impacts welfare. We should not be doing anything that encourages people to avoid vet care. Theres a reason the nhs doesn't check citizenship before treatment.

Anyway dog bites are massively more common in the home, dog bites to randomers not known to the dog are uncommon. So placing scanners say at parks are unlikely to do much

What will happen is people with unregistered dogs, will be exercising them less, potentially hiding them away in houses (if you found a way to enforce it outside), and dogs that are unwell will be hidden from vets.

This will lead to a decrease in welfare and a higher likely hood of incidences

Things like ear cropping are illegal in this country but are plainly done frequently because the set of people that probably most need this legislation are the people least likely to follow it. It's like microchipping, the dodgy owners still don't and the people that do are generally following rules anyway. Ear cropping you can visibly see but still it's rarely enforced.

Since the law on microchipping, there is a legal register of every single dog. Just by doing this, it doesn't improve welfare or safety. In the same way car tax doesn't cause less accidents but an mot does.

What is actually needed is dogs to be able to live in suitable environments, be matched to the their homes and be regularly health and temperament checked. I have zero idea of how you'd do home checks, or checks on every dog.

Strangeish · 14/08/2023 22:43

jlpth · 14/08/2023 22:34

My dog is the same as yours - insured, chipped, on wellness plan.

But I really think we do have a dog problem that dog owners collectively need to help solve. My dh was walking my dog once and out of a bush flew a very big dog who growled like a monster, literally floored my dh, got my dog onto his back and was about to kill him when the owner managed to grab the big dog - prompting a big bite with blood everywhere and both running away. To say nothing of the dog turd all over the streets.

How would licencing solve that situation though? Surely if you just pay an extra £20, maybe it helps pay to clean the streets but it wouldn't stop

Do you know how to report the dog? Is the reporting process as it exists currently any different to what it would be worh liscenses

Strangeish · 14/08/2023 22:48

XenoBitch · 14/08/2023 22:33

Microchips have been mandatory for dogs since 2016. They are not expensive.. cost about £10.

I am not sure about cats or when a law will come in for them. FB community groups are full of missing/deceased cats with no ID. You rarely see the same about dogs.

This is somewhat false.
Battersea reported last year that 1/5 - 1/4 dogs had no microchip at all
However even worse about 60% had failed to keep records up to date (which is also required)

They reported only about 1/4 dogs picked up had a fully compliant microchip

underneaththeash · 14/08/2023 22:52

I think it’s a good idea, it would just pay for dog wardens, who could identify out if control dogs, check chips and ask to see licences - which should be mandatory to be carried if you have a dog.

OnTheBoardwalk · 14/08/2023 22:52

only 1/4 of dogs having a valid microchip is huge @Strangeish

echt · 14/08/2023 22:53

All dogs ( and cats) are registered annually in Australia and dogs have to be on leash everywhere outside the home unless the area is specifically designated off-leash. Registration is handled by local councils. There are fines for being off-leash. Dogs and cats must be microchipped. Cheaper rego for desexed animals and pensioners pay a lesser fee.

BUT councils also ensure there are free poo bags next to the dog waste bin. Carrot and stick.
I'm sure there are those who don't fall in with this, but there isn't the wall-to wall dog shit I've seen in the UK and heard about on thees threads. It works if there's the political will to do it.

If Australia can do it, then so can the UK. It won't solve problems overnight, but over time it will work.

Strangeish · 14/08/2023 23:00

OnTheBoardwalk · 14/08/2023 22:52

only 1/4 of dogs having a valid microchip is huge @Strangeish

https://www.battersea.org.uk/about-us/news/battersea-research-reveals-how-effective-microchipping-helping-find-lost-dogs

I suspect its more complicated, because presumably lots of dogs are microchip scanned before making their way to a local authority.

Plus obviously there's probably a large number of healthy, loved microchipped dogs that never get out of for long enough to be scanned. The local authority dogs are probably more likely to be have been dumped, or strayed because of poor ownership. Not saying that obviously it's only dodgy people's dogs that go missing, but that it's probably more likely that those dogs end up being randomly found at higher numbers.

It's obviously a big improvement on where we were but people just forget to update it when they move, change numbers etc

Battersea research reveals how effective microchipping is in helping find lost dogs

Since April 2016, it’s been a legal requirement to microchip your dog in England, Scotland, and Wales. Under this law, a dog’s microchip details must be stored on an authorised, compliant database by the time it is eight weeks old.

https://www.battersea.org.uk/about-us/news/battersea-research-reveals-how-effective-microchipping-helping-find-lost-dogs

Blossomtoes · 14/08/2023 23:19

It doesn’t help that there’s no single central microchip database so updating one could easily mean it’s not done on the other three.

XenoBitch · 14/08/2023 23:21

jlpth · 14/08/2023 22:34

My dog is the same as yours - insured, chipped, on wellness plan.

But I really think we do have a dog problem that dog owners collectively need to help solve. My dh was walking my dog once and out of a bush flew a very big dog who growled like a monster, literally floored my dh, got my dog onto his back and was about to kill him when the owner managed to grab the big dog - prompting a big bite with blood everywhere and both running away. To say nothing of the dog turd all over the streets.

What can I do then? I have a well trained dog, who is too old and miserable to give a shit about other dogs or people. I pick up her poo.
What else am I meant to do?

XenoBitch · 14/08/2023 23:22

Strangeish · 14/08/2023 22:48

This is somewhat false.
Battersea reported last year that 1/5 - 1/4 dogs had no microchip at all
However even worse about 60% had failed to keep records up to date (which is also required)

They reported only about 1/4 dogs picked up had a fully compliant microchip

WHat was false about my comment? I said FB groups, not Battersea.

SkiingIsHeaven · 14/08/2023 23:35

Why should I be forced to fund the RSPCA. I called them once when a dog was in danger and they did nothing. I have never donated to them since and never will.

trudynotmoody · 14/08/2023 23:41

*All dogs ( and cats) are registered annually in Australia and dogs have to be on leash everywhere outside the home unless the area is specifically designated off-leash. Registration is handled by local councils. There are fines for being off-leash. Dogs and cats must be microchipped. Cheaper rego for desexed animals and pensioners pay a lesser fee.

BUT councils also ensure there are free poo bags next to the dog waste bin. Carrot and stick.
I'm sure there are those who don't fall in with this, but there isn't the wall-to wall dog shit I've seen in the UK and heard about on thees threads. It works if there's the political will to do it.

If Australia can do it, then so can the UK. It won't solve problems overnight, but over time it will work.*

All of this sounds like a good idea

OP posts:
Winterscomingagain · 15/08/2023 00:11

Guiltyfeethavegotnorhythm0 · 14/08/2023 16:39

N .Ireland dog licences have no teeth (pardon the pun) might as well not bother (previous experience ).

They do offset the cost of the dog wardens but we're hardly a shining example of animal welfare.

newnamethanks · 15/08/2023 07:23

Over 1,000 children required hospital treatment as a result of dog attacks.

newnamethanks · 15/08/2023 07:23

That was just last year's figures.

SquirmOfEels · 15/08/2023 07:35

calmcoco · 14/08/2023 17:20

I think the chips should be more rigourously enforced and funding for dog wardens be re-established. I blame central government for cuts to local councils.

Some councils do still have dog wardens, so have managed to prioritise their budgets to preserve the function. So it can and is being done, irrespective of central government cuts. I've just checked several London boroughs (from the very poor ones - Tower Hamlets - to the lowest council tax ones - Wandsworth - and a few others) and they all still have dog/animal warden functions

So if you want yours to restore/expand yours, then you need to make it an issue with your local councillors and get it reprioritised going forwards.

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