Dog id and collar in public place.

[lancer425]

I just heard today of some one getting a £60 fine from a local council official while walking his dog before work last week, the fine was allegedly for the dog not having a collar on with id in a public place.

It is a family pet, Looking up the law just now it apears this law has been in place since 1992. And is for EVERY dog on highway or in public place. With two noted exemptions police dogs and guide dogs.

 I read another article it said Some working dogs, if shooting a collar should be ok to remove but what about training on public ground in connection with work.

I do not like collars i am always scared the dog might get hooked up with debris floating on the tide, so do not use collar.

 The MINIMUM FINE is £500 and this is born out allegedly by the council official who implied this was a warning it could have been a £500 fine.

If dog is micro chipped or not it seems they must still have a collar and ID at all times on public areas.

  Concerned about this alleged fine i posted here as a warning and for any comments surrounding working dog definition in relation to these laws.

.

[DUNKS]

Not sure but I don't think my mates working Lab has worn a collar from birth and it gets walked twice a day every day.

[Centrepin]

My sons dog was a working dog, never a collar whilst working or training or travel to from. Walking local he uses a slip lead with little screw on canister attached.  At the mo, she's poorly so wearing nothing 

Mine however,  pets, collar and ID all times.

[Mr.C]

Looks like I'll have to get a tag for the harness. I'm assuming it needs to have the owners details.

[Centrepin]

24 minutes ago, Mr.C said:

Looks like I'll have to get a tag for the harness. I'm assuming it needs to have the owners details.

Strangely enough I believe it doesn't need the dogs name, just the phone number and postcode, house number of owner.

[Mr.C]

I wouldn't have put the dogs name on the tag anyway, my number and postcode will do fine.

Cheers for the heads up on this

[lancer425]

It as apparently been law since 1992. i have never had a dog with a collar on it in my life. have four dogs so at best if caught its going to be £240 at worst two grand. I read on one page £500 minimum charge.

I do not know if your dogs are working gun dogs if this will exempt you, or if they will only be classed as working when actually say shooting in the field. Or on the other hand dogs are just as at risk when training.

My fear as always been water hooked up on debris or hung up in a hedge row strangled.

 I am not sure this event ever happened yet hence term ALLEGEDLEY in my original post. but it is there in black and white, but not sure how to get a better definition of working dog or when the working dog label is applicable, just how pedantic can officialdom be ?

[toontastic]

Training a gundog is exempt from a collar as per shooting UK article.

It says sporting purposes are exempt and include beating, picking up and gundog training

Edited November 23 by toontastic

[lancer425]

1 hour ago, toontastic said:

Training a gundog is exempt from a collar as per shooting UK article.

It says sporting purposes are exempt and include beating, picking up and gundog training

Well thats a breath of fresh air i have to admit. Thank you.

[London Best]

I don’t know about the 1992 date, maybe there was some amendment to the law then, but dogs have certainly had to wear collars with owners address on them since I was a little kid in the early ‘50’s. And all my shooting life (1960 onwards) I have understood that working dogs were exempt.

[JTaylor91]

3 hours ago, toontastic said:

Training a gundog is exempt from a collar as per shooting UK article.

It says sporting purposes are exempt and include beating, picking up and gundog training

I’m assuming this doesn’t extend to doing some training while in a public area? 

[toontastic]

45 minutes ago, JTaylor91 said:

I’m assuming this doesn’t extend to doing some training while in a public area? 

Article 2 paragraph 1 states all dogs in a public place must wear a collar and ID.

But paragraph 2 then lists exemptions to paragraph 1, one of which is dogs being used for sporting purposes.

The article I read on shootinguk defines sporting as gundog training, beating and picking up. So I am assuming it does extend to training in a public area.

It also defines that travelling to and from an area is not exempt. 

Edited November 23 by toontastic

[JTaylor91]

15 minutes ago, toontastic said:

Article 2 paragraph 1 states all dogs in a public place must wear a collar and ID.

But paragraph 2 then lists exemptions to paragraph 1, one of which is dogs being used for sporting purposes.

The article I read on shootinguk defines sporting as gundog training, beating and picking up. So I am assuming it does extend to training in a public area.

It also defines that travelling to and from an area is not exempt. 

Hmmmm so if I was approached out on a walk and threatened with a fine I could just say we are training. 

[toontastic]

14 minutes ago, JTaylor91 said:

Hmmmm so if I was approached out on a walk and threatened with a fine I could just say we are training. 

My interpretation is that taking a dog for a walk wouldn't be covered.

I'm assuming It only covers gundog specific training.

But if caught and fined you could always fight it in court for a definitive answer as to what is defined as "gundog training".

Edited November 23 by toontastic

[loriusgarrulus]

"The KeepSafe Break-Away Collar" is a collar that will release if its caught up. It has a D rings either side of the release clip for you to clip a lead too if you want. There are probably other makes about.

[lancer425]

4 hours ago, loriusgarrulus said:

"The KeepSafe Break-Away Collar" is a collar that will release if its caught up. It has a D rings either side of the release clip for you to clip a lead too if you want. There are probably other makes about.

That might be away. Not 100% what exactly we need to do with them being working dogs. BASC perhaps in the morning

[Hayden]

This is the law apparently (New to me!):

Wearing of collars by dogs

2.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2) below, every dog while in a highway or in a place of public resort shall wear a collar with the name and address of the owner inscribed on the collar or on a plate or badge attached to it.

(2) Paragraph (1) above shall not apply to—

(a)any pack of hounds,

(b)any dog while being used for sporting purposes,

(c)any dog while being used for the capture or destruction of vermin,

(d)any dog while being used for the driving or tending of cattle or sheep,

(e)any dog while being used on official duties by a member of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces or Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise or the police force for any area,

(f)any dog while being used in emergency rescue work, or

(g)any dog registered with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

 

Must admit we've only ever had a phone number on ours, and that's it, so breaking the law.  Saying that, the spaniel hardly ever wears a collar, and even that doesn't have a tag, so again, could get into trouble.

I wouldn't think that training a dog would be classed as sporting purposes.

Hayden

[toontastic]

IMO if the working dog exemption is on animal welfare grounds, due to the dangers of a collar snagging and causing injury while working, I'd say it would cover training as the same risks of snagging collars and injury are just as likely to occur.

[loriusgarrulus]

I have tags made with our surname, address, house phone and mobile numbers. The tags can be used on any of our dogs then. They wear a collar and tag all the time unless working. If they get out for any reason they are identifiable and comply with the law.

Mobile is important as if you are out looking for a dog the house phone is not usually manned. Only had one dog lost once for about an hour (touch wood) Her tag meant we got a phone call while we were out searching from a neighbour she went to. Little beggar slipped under a gate. We lowered the gate after that. 

[London Best]

Forty five years ago I had a Labrador dog which went over his six foot high run and was found half a mile away pestering an in season bitch in a kennel.

All my runs have had a roof since then.

Edited November 25 by London Best

[PhilR]

My Lab is chipped, always collared on the street and has an ID tag with my name and mobile number. I'd need a blooming big tag to get my address on it too.

[loriusgarrulus]

1 hour ago, PhilR said:

My Lab is chipped, always collared on the street and has an ID tag with my name and mobile number. I'd need a blooming big tag to get my address on it too.

The tags I have are 1" or 25mm diameter. They have 3 phone numbers on one side.

Our Surname and address on the other. Admittedly our surname is only 4 letters. The address is just house number, street, village and postcode. It all fits on fine and is clearly  seen, lazer black etched on stainless steel.

Edited November 25 by loriusgarrulus

[toontastic]

For the address a house number/name and post code is sufficient.

[lancer425]

On 25/11/2019 at 12:35, toontastic said:

IMO if the working dog exemption is on animal welfare grounds, due to the dangers of a collar snagging and causing injury while working, I'd say it would cover training as the same risks of snagging collars and injury are just as likely to occur.

I share this opinion, but not sure how the law would view it.