If you walk your dog in a harness, you could be breaking the law and facing a big fine or possibly prison time if your dog isn’t also wearing a collar with an identity tag.
According to the Mirror, the Control of Dogs Order of 1992 mandates that all dogs wear a collar with an identifying tag bearing their owner’s name and address.
Anyone caught breaking this legislation would be in violation of the Animal Health Act 1981, and might face a punishment of up to ‘level 5 on the normal scale,’ which was formerly capped at £5,000 but has now been altered to ‘unlimited.’
“For crimes committed after 13 March 2015, level 5 has been abolished, and all criminal penalties expressed as punishable on summary conviction by a maximum fine of £5,000 or more or expressed as a level 5 fine, are now punishable by a fine of any amount,” a spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) told TeamDogs (i.e. unlimited).
“This is due to section 85 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing, and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012,” says the author.
“As a result, on summary conviction, the maximum sentence will be up to six months in prison and/or an infinite fine.”
If you are discovered infringing the laws, however, the fine you receive will almost certainly be much lesser than the ones listed above.
A £50 fine, £50 in costs, and a £30 victim surcharge were imposed on the owner of a Cocker Spaniel who was caught without a collar in the East Midlands in 2018.
No, ID isn’t the only way you and your four-legged companion could get into trouble.
If you, like many other people, drive with your dog in the car, you may be breaking the law without even noticing it, and risk a £5,000 fine.
Your dog should be confined while you’re driving, according to the Highway Code, so they don’t endanger you or themselves.
“When in a vehicle, make sure dogs or other animals are properly tethered so they cannot distract you while driving or damage you or themselves if you stop quickly,” says the Highway Code.
“Restraining animals in cars can be done with a seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage, or dog guard.”
Although breaking the Highway Code does not carry its own penalty, if police suspect you of being distracted while driving, you could be fined £1,000 on the spot.
This might result in a fine of up to £5,000, as well as up to nine penalty points or even a driving ban.