Dog Licensing and Identification - Review of Coloured Collar Identification Tag for Dogs

Belfast City Council

Report to: Health and Environmental Services Committee

Subject: Dog Licensing and Identification – Review of Coloured Collar Identification Tag for Dogs

Date: 5 October 2011

Reporting Officer: Siobhan Toland, Head of Environmental Health ext 3281

Contact Officer: John Corkey, Environmental Health Manager extension 3289

Relevant Background Information

1.1

1.2

1.3

Under the Dogs (Licensing and Identification) Regulations 1983 (as amended), which was made under the Dogs (NI) Order 1983, it is a legal requirement for the keeper of a dog to ensure that the dog wears an oval coloured licence identification tag attached to its collar. With the introduction of compulsory microchipping of dogs, due to commence next April, a licensed dog will therefore have two means of identification -microchipping and the coloured collar tag.

During scrutiny of the Dogs (Amendment) Bill in the Assembly, the Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) Committee recommended that the Department consult with elected council members to assess whether there is a future need for the dual identification systems of microchipping and the coloured collar tagging of licensed dogs post April 2012. The Department has now written to the Council seeking its views on this issue.

DARD identified three options in considering the future of coloured collar identification tags for dogs:

§ Retain the dual identification system of coloured collar tag and microchipping from April 2012 (i.e. no change to current policy);

§ Allow microchipping to bed in (for approx 18-21 months) and review the need for coloured collar tags in January 2014 (the new Licensing and Identification Regulations provides for the new coloured tag for the full 2014 calendar year);

§ Abolish the need for coloured collar tags when microchipping is introduced (i.e. from April 2012).

Key Issues

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

The requirement for a coloured tag to be attached to a dog’s collar provides an obvious initial method of identification. The colour of the tag will indicate the year in which the dog was licensed and the unique tag number allows the Dog Warden to confirm ownership details.

Whilst a microchip will also provide licensing and ownership details, access to this information requires the use of a scanner, which may not always be readily available to the officer.

Much of a Dog Warden’s enforcement work, such as issuing fixed penalties for fouling and straying, requires an officer, on the ground, to have ready access to relevant information about the dog in question. Without the tag therefore this would make enforcement an even more difficult task than it already is.

DARD has suggested that councils should seek the views of their dog wardens before reaching a collective decision on the future of coloured collar identification tags. The Environmental Health Manager (Public Health) has therefore consulted with the Dog Control Manager and her staff regarding this matter who have expressed support for option 1 for the reasons described above.

Resource Implications

3.1

The cost of individual tags is 41p. Based on the number of licenses issued in 2010-2011, which was over 11,500, the projected cost for 2012-2013 will be around £5,000. However this will be easily accommodated by the additional income generated through the increased cost of a licence from £5 to £12.50.

Equality Implications

4.1

None

Recommendations

5.1

In light of the benefits, in terms of enforcement of dog control issues in particular, the Committee is asked to endorse Option 1 as the preferred option for Belfast City Council, namely, to retain the dual identification system of coloured collar tag and microchipping from April 2012 (i.e. no change to current policy).

Key to Abbreviations

DARD- Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Documents Attached

Letter to Belfast City Council’s Chief Executive from Billy Montgomery, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development