By Laura Kemp • Published: 23 Sep 2021 • 15:41
UK dog owners could face fines of up to £5,000 when walking their pet
UK dog owners are being warned that having the wrong collar on their pet could mean they are handed a £5,000 fine and even time in jail.
If a dog owners pet does not have a tag that includes their name and address on it, which is illegal, they could face a six-month custodial sentence or a four-figure fine.
The Control of Dogs Order 1992 states that dogs in England and Wales must wear a collar with the owner’s name and address on it.
Failure to provide proper identification on a dog’s collar could mean an owner is found guilty of an offence under the Animal Health Act 1981.
If found guilty, a dog owner could be “punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale”.
A spokesperson for DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) told Team Dogs: “For crimes committed after 13 March 2015, level 5 has been done away with and all criminal penalties expressed as being punishable on summary conviction by a maximum fine of £5,000 or more, or expressed as being a level 5 fine, are now punishable by a fine of any amount.
“That’s as a result of section 85 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
“Therefore, the maximum penalty on summary conviction will be up to six months imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.”
The law does not state that the tag must provide a phone number, however, it must include the owner’s postcode.
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Originally from UK, Laura is based in Axarquia and is a writer for the Euro Weekly News covering news and features. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
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