Laws for Dog Owners
Overview
There are many laws for dog owners to be aware of. Some govern how you look after your dog, others relate to your responsibility to other people and animals as a dog owner. The following list of laws are not comprehensive, but we have tried to give you the most relevant for general dog ownership.
Should you wish to find out more about these laws, or find out about the ones we have not included, such as laws regarding banned breeds, laws specific to Scotland or Ireland, or taking your dog abroad, you can visit:
The Government’s website
The Kennel Club and search for their pdf titled Do You Know Dog Law?
The Microchipping information website
1) Out Of Control
It is against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control anywhere, eg:
NOTE: The law applies to all dogs.
Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it:
NOTE: A farmer is allowed to kill your dog if it is worrying their livestock
If a dog is causing a nuisance to people, for example by repeatedly escaping from a garden, or by acting aggressively towards visitors (even if in the dog’s own home) or other animals it could be considered as dangerously out of control.
Penalties:
2) Public Spaces Protection Orders
Some public areas in England and Wales are covered by Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) – previously called Dog Control Orders (DCOs).
In some public areas with PSPOs, you may have to:
Note: PSPOs only apply to public land.
Penalties:
If you ignore a PSPO, you can be fined:
You can’t be fined it you’re a registered blind dog owner.
Byelaws on noisy animals:
If your dog’s barking causes a serious nuisance to neighbours, the local authority can serve a noise abatement notice, which if unheeded can result in you paying fines and legal expenses.
PSPO’s In Your Area
Local councils must let the public know where PSPO’s are in place.
Example: If dogs aren’t allowed in a park, there must be signs saying so.
If the council plans to put a new PSPO in place, it must first put up a notice and publish it in a local newspaper and on it’s website.
The notice must tell you:
3) Dog Fouling
You can be given an on-the-spot fine if you don’t clean up after your dog. The amount varies from council to council. It’s often £50 and can be as much as £80.
If you refuse to pay the fine, you can be taken to court and fined up to £1,000
Note: registered blind dog owners can’t be fined
You can report dog fouling to your local council.
4) Report A Dog
5) Control Of Dogs Order 1992
Any dog in a public place should wear the name and address of the owner, either inscribed on the collar or a name disc attached to the collar. It is also advisable to put a telephone number.
6) Welfare of Dogs
Under Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 you must take all reasonable steps to ensure that you meet the following needs that your dog has:
Under the Act you are always responsible for your dog’s needs. Furthermore, if you are a parent or guardian of a child under the age of 16 years old, you are responsible for any animal that child is in charge of or owns. If you are unable to care for your dog at any time, you must make arrangements for another suitable person to look after it on your behalf. It is important to remember that you remain responsible for your dog’s needs, even when you are away. The person with whom you leave your dog will also be legally responsible for your dog’s welfare in your absence.
If you own or are responsible for a dog, and fail to meet its welfare needs or cause it unnecessary suffering, you may be prosecuted under the Act.
7) The Road Traffic Act 1988
It is an offence to have a dog on a designated road without it being held on a lead. Local authorities may have similar bye-laws covering public areas. Dogs travelling in vehicles should not be a nuisance or in any way distract the driver during a journey.
If a dog is injured in a car accident, the driver must stop and give their details to the person in charge of the dog. If there is no person in charge of the dog, the incident must be reported to the police within 24 hours.
8) Compulsory Microchipping
On 6th April 2016 it became a legal requirement for all dogs in England, Scotland and Wales to be microchipped and registered on a government compliant database such as Petlog. The owner, or registered keeper, must be the person with whom the dog normally resides
Penalties
Exemptions
There are many laws for dog owners to be aware of. Some govern how you look after your dog, others relate to your responsibility to other people and animals as a dog owner. The following list of laws are not comprehensive, but we have tried to give you the most relevant for general dog ownership.
Should you wish to find out more about these laws, or find out about the ones we have not included, such as laws regarding banned breeds, laws specific to Scotland or Ireland, or taking your dog abroad, you can visit:
The Government’s website
The Kennel Club and search for their pdf titled Do You Know Dog Law?
The Microchipping information website
1) Out Of Control
It is against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control anywhere, eg:
- in a public place
- in a private place (eg a neighbour’s house or garden)
- in the owner’s home
NOTE: The law applies to all dogs.
Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it:
- injures someone
- makes someone worried that it might injure them
- it injures someone’s animal
- the owner of the animal thinks they could be injured if they tried to stop your dog attacking their animal.
NOTE: A farmer is allowed to kill your dog if it is worrying their livestock
If a dog is causing a nuisance to people, for example by repeatedly escaping from a garden, or by acting aggressively towards visitors (even if in the dog’s own home) or other animals it could be considered as dangerously out of control.
Penalties:
- You can be fined up to £20,000 or sent to prison for up to 6 months (or both) if your dog is dangerously out of control. You may not be allowed to own a dog in the future and your dog may be destroyed.
- If you let your dog injure someone you can be sent to prison for up to 5 years or fined (or both). If you deliberately use your dog to injure someone you could be charged with ‘malicious wounding’.
- If you allow your dog to kill someone you can be sent to prison for up to 14 years or get an unlimited fine (or both).
- If you allow your dog to injure a guide dog you can be sent to prison for up to 3 years or fined (or both).
2) Public Spaces Protection Orders
Some public areas in England and Wales are covered by Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) – previously called Dog Control Orders (DCOs).
In some public areas with PSPOs, you may have to:
- Keep your dog on a lead
- Put your dog on a lead if told to by a police officer, police community support officer or someone from the council
- Stop your dog going in certain places – like farmland or parts of a park
- Limit the number of dogs you have with you (this applies to professional dog walkers too)
- Clear up after your dog
Note: PSPOs only apply to public land.
Penalties:
If you ignore a PSPO, you can be fined:
- £100 on the spot (a ‘fixed penalty notice’)
- Up to £1,000 if it goes to court
You can’t be fined it you’re a registered blind dog owner.
Byelaws on noisy animals:
If your dog’s barking causes a serious nuisance to neighbours, the local authority can serve a noise abatement notice, which if unheeded can result in you paying fines and legal expenses.
PSPO’s In Your Area
Local councils must let the public know where PSPO’s are in place.
Example: If dogs aren’t allowed in a park, there must be signs saying so.
If the council plans to put a new PSPO in place, it must first put up a notice and publish it in a local newspaper and on it’s website.
The notice must tell you:
- Where the new PSPO will apply
- If there’s a map and where you can see it
3) Dog Fouling
You can be given an on-the-spot fine if you don’t clean up after your dog. The amount varies from council to council. It’s often £50 and can be as much as £80.
If you refuse to pay the fine, you can be taken to court and fined up to £1,000
Note: registered blind dog owners can’t be fined
You can report dog fouling to your local council.
4) Report A Dog
- Anyone can report a dog and their owner to the police
- You can report a dangerous dog to your council’s dog warden service
- You can also report dog fouling to your local council
5) Control Of Dogs Order 1992
Any dog in a public place should wear the name and address of the owner, either inscribed on the collar or a name disc attached to the collar. It is also advisable to put a telephone number.
6) Welfare of Dogs
Under Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 you must take all reasonable steps to ensure that you meet the following needs that your dog has:
- Its need for a suitable environment
- Its need for a suitable diet
- Its need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
- Any need it has to be housed with, or apart from, other animals
- Its need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease
Under the Act you are always responsible for your dog’s needs. Furthermore, if you are a parent or guardian of a child under the age of 16 years old, you are responsible for any animal that child is in charge of or owns. If you are unable to care for your dog at any time, you must make arrangements for another suitable person to look after it on your behalf. It is important to remember that you remain responsible for your dog’s needs, even when you are away. The person with whom you leave your dog will also be legally responsible for your dog’s welfare in your absence.
If you own or are responsible for a dog, and fail to meet its welfare needs or cause it unnecessary suffering, you may be prosecuted under the Act.
7) The Road Traffic Act 1988
It is an offence to have a dog on a designated road without it being held on a lead. Local authorities may have similar bye-laws covering public areas. Dogs travelling in vehicles should not be a nuisance or in any way distract the driver during a journey.
If a dog is injured in a car accident, the driver must stop and give their details to the person in charge of the dog. If there is no person in charge of the dog, the incident must be reported to the police within 24 hours.
8) Compulsory Microchipping
On 6th April 2016 it became a legal requirement for all dogs in England, Scotland and Wales to be microchipped and registered on a government compliant database such as Petlog. The owner, or registered keeper, must be the person with whom the dog normally resides
- Puppies must be microchipped and registered on a microchip database by the age of 8 weeks
- Breeders are responsible for microchipping and must be registered as the first keeper
- Dog owners (keepers) must keep their contact information up to date
- Rehomed dogs must have the details of the new owner (keeper), not of the rescue centre on the database
Penalties
- The owner of an unchipped dog will be given 21 days to comply, or face a fine of up to £500 and the dog being seized and chipped at the owner’s expense
- An owner who has not updated their details will be given 21 days to comply or face a fine of up to £500
- Obstructing an authorised person from checking for a microchip is punishable on conviction of a fine up to £500
Exemptions
- Where a veterinarian has certified the dog as a working dog and docked its tail in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the time limit for the dog to be microchipped and details recorded with a database is extended to 3 months.
- Where a veterinarian certifies that a dog should not be microchipped because it could adversely affect its health. The dog would then need to be microchipped on the expiry of that time limited certificate unless a veterinarian issued a further exemption certificate because of ongoing concerns with the dog’s health. In such a case a breeder may pass the puppy on with a copy of the veterinary exemption certificate and any time limit for microchipping.
Information correct at the time of printing and taken from
www.gov.uk, www.thekennelclub.org.uk and www.chipitcheckit.co.uk
www.gov.uk, www.thekennelclub.org.uk and www.chipitcheckit.co.uk
