In the thread "When to Desex", Vish had made the following comment in his post..... [quote author=buzzvishwanath link=topic=5800.msg76324#msg76324 date=1399860609] Here our council charges us more if the dog isn't neutered , Almost thrice compared to a neutered dog . Vish [/quote] This got me thinking Should I have a dog license, but no (phew!) this was stopped in the UK around 1987. Just wondering more about which countries still have dog licenses, how much they are, whether folk comply, and how these are monitored. Any info would be interesting Thanks jac
Re: Dog Licenses In Australia it varies by area but where I am (Australian Capital Territory) all dogs over the age of 8 weeks have to be registered with the local government. You pay once, for life (in some places it's annual). It's about $50. Dogs have to wear a yellow, plastic registration tag at all times. You can see Obi and Milly wearing their yellow tags in this pic: This will shock some people - desexing is compulsory on all dogs over the age of 6 months, unless you are successful in getting an exemption. You have to apply for the exemption by filling out a paper form that you have to pick up from the relevant government office (Domestic Animal Services). There is also a fee (edit: which is more than the cost of desexing - the fee to keep an entire dog seems to be about $300 and I assume that this is for the dog's life, not an annual fee!). So, desexing is not just a matter of personal choice here. But no-one makes a fuss as the culture of desexing is so embedded and accepted. All this is regulated by Domestic Animal Services who have rangers who drive about and I guess do random checks. I've only seen them once, when they came to my house after a loose dog ran into my yard and attacked my ducks. That was when we had our old dog, Nicolae, who came trotting over to say hi to the rangers with his registration tag swinging merrily and, er, certain other parts noticeably absent and not swinging. It is also an offence (i.e. you can be fined) not to carry a plastic bag when walking your dog. Microchipping is also compulsory.
Re: Dog Licenses Thanks Rachael. I know a lot of that has been alluded to in past posts, but as usual your info is very informative! Not quite sure about the enforced desexing bit but I think the rest is pretty sensible personally.
Re: Dog Licenses Funny you start this thread Jac because I was thinking about dog licenses yesterday. As you say the license was abolished in 1987, as at 37 and a half pence it was in economic to collect. I can still remember my old mum toddling off to the Post Office to collect her pension and buy her dog license. Her last years were gladdened by Pepper who kept her company and got her out and about. Time and technology have moved on and with the coming of mandatory micro-chipping I believe it is time to re-introduce the Dog License. I believe it should be at least £200. This would make it on a par with what rescue societies charge for a dog. Some would argue that this is expensive, but I feel that it is a living thing you are buying, the license fee should reflect that and be sufficient to give you pause for thought. Put bluntly, if you cannot afford the licence fee then you cannot afford the ongoing costs of an animal. I believe that it would deter impulse buys and save a lot of canine and human misery. A licence would have to be produced at the time of purchase. It would deter the irresponsible and cruel from abandoning their unwanted animals. The micro-chip would ensure that the owners would be traced and held accountable for their actions. The funds raised could be used to create enclosed dog parks where our dogs could exercise in safety, and those member of the population who don't like dogs would not be troubled by an over enthusiastic, friendly dog bounding up to them. The technology exists, it is time harness it. Of course there will be abuses, nothing is ever perfect. Do I need to borrow JulieT's hard hat
Re: Dog Licenses I agree with your sentiments Tina.....although £200 might be a BIT steep. It opens up a whole new area of costly administration and policing. Might push breeding underground :-\ , as you would need to "license" breeders to make sure they comply with asking for the dog license blah blah blah. Or actually.......could be a whole new job opportunity scheme, getting people back to work (more fun logical and worthwhile than regulating the 130 job applications you need to produce each week to qualify for benefit ) ;D
Re: Dog Licenses Oops....off at a slight tangent. Is there any licensing in the US or other countries apart from Australia (and I presume New Zealand??)
Re: Dog Licenses I chose £200 as it is about what a Rescue Organisation charges for a dog. I agree it is a bit steep, but that is meant to be the deterrent value. When you consider the sums people spend on electronic gizmos, phones, games machines, I pads etc I do not believe it is unreasonable amount to spend to have the p privilege and pleasure of owning a dog. I envisage it as a one off payment. Alternatively it could be a smaller amount but renewable annually like a road fund license.
Re: Dog Licenses [quote author=Mollly link=topic=5913.msg76607#msg76607 date=1399925606] When you consider the sums people spend on electronic gizmos, phones, games machines, I pads etc I do not believe it is unreasonable amount to spend to have the p privilege and pleasure of owning a dog. [/quote] Very true :-\
Re: Dog Licenses I think Australia have got it right to be honest, with the exception of the compulsory neutering over 6 months as there are many reasons why a dog cannot be neutered until later on and you should not have to apply for exemption for this. I agree £200 for a dog license is probably a bit too much as I personally wouldn't be able to afford it, although I can afford to own my dog responsibly with no problem. It would immediately add on £200 to the purchase price of a puppy or the adoption fee of a rescue dog which will make dogs unattainable for a lot of people, even though they can provide them with perfect homes.
Re: Dog Licenses No dog licence required in South Africa. Poop bags also not required. In fact, very few people will even pick up their dog's poops if they're out walking and the doggie needs to go toilet. Spaying and castration: if you get a pet from the SPCA or a few other shelters they require that the animal is done at 6 months as part of the adoption policy. Other than that it's up to you. Microchips: very expensive and also a personal choice.
Re: Dog Licenses Horrified at the thought of compulsory neutering!!! But otherwise I think all dogs should be registered and a license issued. Here in Germany we have to pay a license fee, which trebles (!!!) for the second dog.
