Council gives dog owners twomonth amnesty to come clean

As part of its Responsible Dog Ownership Strategy, Derry City Council is introducing a two-month dog licensing amnesty to encourage dog owners to licence their dogs.

Sean Carr, chairman of the Environmental Services Committee, welcoming the introduction of the amnesty said it was a good opportunity for dog owners to avail of this unique opportunity and for Council to reduce the number of unlicensed dogs.

“Licensing is considered to be an integral part of responsible dog ownership,” he explained. “All dogs, with the exception of guide dogs, must have a licence and they must also wear an identity disc or tag, stating the owner`s name, address and contact telephone number.

“Failure to do so can result in a £75 fixed penalty fine or in court a maximum fine of £1,000 for each offence. The number of licensed dogs in the Derry City Council area is low when compared with councils of equivalent size but in an effort to reduce numbers further we feel the two month amnesty will assist in encouraging people to licence their dog.”