# New dog licence set to cost £50



## jenniferx (Jan 23, 2009)

BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | New dog licence set to cost £50

Just came across this whilst reading ceefax last night. There's been very little mention of it in the media that I've seen.


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

Is that just in Ireland though? It seems a bit steep especially for people who have quite a few dogs.


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## jenniferx (Jan 23, 2009)

It will be in Northern Ireland, Jazzy.We already have a licence fee here. The dogs must wear the annual tag they get issued. This years' is yellow. 

It would get quite pricey. We have three dogs so that is an additional £150 per year to own ours. TBH I don't think it will make a difference. We are the worst region in the UK for strays and dogs put down so it hasn't thus far! No one polices it.


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## yena (Sep 7, 2009)

£50 what about the old people that can't afford that amount of money, what will they do. Just now many will panic and give their dogs upto rescue or have them pts, which will break their hearts.


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## Captain.Charisma (May 24, 2009)

I like the idea, hopefully the money will put people having dogs and then simply discarding them :S Or owning a dog for the wrong reasons !


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## Pudsters14Cavs2 (Oct 7, 2009)

I haven't had a good read of the thread yet, is that just Northern Ireland?


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## Akai-Chan (Feb 21, 2009)

I think it's a good idea in that it might dissuade people from getting dogs on a whim in the first place but for current owners who have lots of dogs it might be unaffordable. What does the money go back to?

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## Acacia86 (Dec 30, 2008)

Over here dog licenses are £5 per dog. To be paid every year. If people don't pay then a fine can and does happen.


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## trekky (Apr 16, 2008)

Am i missing something from reading this thread. You're meant to have a license in the UK already? Hadn't heard of that one am i breaking the law then?


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## Akai-Chan (Feb 21, 2009)

trekky said:


> Am i missing something from reading this thread. You're meant to have a license in the UK already? Hadn't heard of that one am i breaking the law then?


This is for ireland I think and acacia is in the channel islands so I dn't think the same rules apply for the UK

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

trekky said:


> Am i missing something from reading this thread. You're meant to have a license in the UK already? Hadn't heard of that one am i breaking the law then?


No the dog license for the UK was abolished years ago when I was young, think the last one was 37 1/2 p from what I remember.


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## jenniferx (Jan 23, 2009)

Well Northern Ireland is part of the UK- it is distinct from Eire or the Republic of Ireland, I'm not sure if Southern Ireland has a licence?

We presently have a licensing system- so the news story is about the price increasing rather than anything else as well as new rules to enforce microchipping. 

As it stands for the elderly there is half price (£2.50)- though under the new proposals that would still be £25 per dog.


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## trekky (Apr 16, 2008)

Akai-Chan said:


> This is for ireland I think and acacia is in the channel islands so I dn't think the same rules apply for the UK
> 
> Peace
> Akai-Chan


Thanks for that got worried then that i'd missed something i'll relax now


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## jenniferx (Jan 23, 2009)

This was discussed on a local radio show this morning with more info:

BBC iPlayer - The Stephen Nolan Show: 08/10/2009


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## jenniferx (Jan 23, 2009)

Just thought I'd update on this. There was a quite a significant outcry following the original story.

BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | Ten-fold dog licence rise dropped


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## majortom (May 7, 2009)

jenniferx said:


> BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | New dog licence set to cost £50
> 
> Just came across this whilst reading ceefax last night. There's been very little mention of it in the media that I've seen.


and as usual it will be the resposible owners who get cloppered
the others will just ignore it
and more dogs will get thrown out into the streets
people who have a few dogs will not be able to afford it
if it passes in ireland
it will come to the mainland soon
just the thing to kill off dog events like showing and agility etc


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## Spellweaver (Jul 17, 2009)

majortom said:


> and as usual it will be the resposible owners who get cloppered
> the others will just ignore it
> and more dogs will get thrown out into the streets
> people who have a few dogs will not be able to afford it
> ...


I agree.

It's one of those things that look good at first, but when you really examine it the thinking behind it is flawed - it's not going to dissuade the thugs/bad owners etc from buying the dogs - they just won't buy the license. Apparently they don't buy the £5.00 license as it is - so why do the powers that be in NI think they're going to pay £50.00? The only people it will hit are the ones who care for their dogs in the first place - and as you say, if they have several dogs it will hit them hard.


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## jenniferx (Jan 23, 2009)

Spellweaver said:


> I agree.
> 
> It's one of those things that look good at first, but when you really examine it the thinking behind it is flawed - it's not going to dissuade the thugs/bad owners etc from buying the dogs - they just won't buy the license. Apparently they don't buy the £5.00 license as it is - so why do the powers that be in NI think they're going to pay £50.00? The only people it will hit are the ones who care for their dogs in the first place - and as you say, if they have several dogs it will hit them hard.


Yes this is the case. I think throughout this discussion it was said that in the Craigavon Council area it was estimated that under 1/3 of all the dogs within that district were actually licensed. And that was when it was £5!

I would pay 100 times the current licence, happily, if I thought for a minute that it would help solve the dog straying problem we have here- but it won't. No licence is worth anything more than an ID tag if it isn't enforced. Whatsmore the revenue generated, in so far as I know, does not go directly towards the dog problem we have here- rather it lines the pockets of our MLA's.

Anyway, the revisions that have been made do actually sound reasonable in comparison to the original, if they are going to insist on maintaining licensing in Northern Ireland, ie: you don't need to pay if your dog is neutered. Still if no one actually monitors or enforces it, why would you bother? The scheme is not working, plain and simple. We have licences AND the worst strays problem in the whole of the UK.


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## Sarahnya (Oct 27, 2008)

I hope they don't introduce it, thats money better spent on their toys and food as far as I can see.

Yobs that don't give a toss about their dogs aren't going to buy a license, it's just another tax


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