The Dogs (Licensing and Identification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2011 No. 279

Dogs

The Dogs (Licensing and Identification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Made

19th July 2011

Coming into operation

3rd October 2011

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development(1), makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 6(2), (3) and (5), 7(9), 8(2) and (3), 15(1) and 31(1) of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983(2):

PART I GENERAL

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Dogs (Licensing and Identification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 and shall come into operation on 3rd October 2011.

Interpretation

2.  In these regulations—

“certificate of registration” means a certificate of registration issued by the Kennel Club, the Irish Coursing Club, the Masters of Foxhounds Association, the Masters of Harriers and Beagles Association, the Northern Ireland Master of Hounds Association, the International Sheep Dog Society or any other such organisation that the Department may specify by an order made under Article 8(1) of the Order;

“licensed” means kept under the authority of a dog licence or block licence;

“the Order” means the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983.

PART II LICENSING

Period of validity of a dog licence

3.—(1) A dog licence shall, unless suspended, remain in force for a period of one year.

(2) A block licence shall, unless suspended, remain in force for a period of one year.

Forms

4.—(1) An application for a dog licence shall be in the form set out in Schedule 1.

(2) A dog licence shall be in the form set out in Schedule 2.

(3) A transfer certificate shall be in the form set out in Schedule 3.

(4) An application for a refund of a dog licence shall be in the form set out in Schedule 4.

(5) An application for a block licence shall be in the form set out in Schedule 5 and shall be accompanied, where appropriate, by certificates of registration for dogs kept at premises in respect of which the block licence is sought.

(6) A block licence shall be in the form set out in Schedule 6.

Register of dog licences and block licences

5.—(1) The register of dog licences and block licences to be kept by district councils under Article 15(1) of the Order shall contain such particulars as are set out in Schedule 7.

(2) The register may be kept in manual or computerised form so long as the recording is capable of being reproduced in a legible form for inspection.

PART III IDENTIFICATION

Identification of the keeper

6.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the keeper of a dog in respect of which a licence is required under the Order or of a dog to which Article 5(a), (b) or (d) of the Order applies shall ensure that the dog wears a collar with the name and address of the keeper inscribed on it or on a plate or badge attached to it.

(2) The provisions of paragraph (1) shall not apply to the keeper of a dog—

(a) which is a member of a pack of hounds; or

(b) while that dog is being judged at a competition; or

(c) while that dog is being used for—

(i) any sporting purposes;

(ii) the capture or destruction of vermin;

(iii) the purpose of driving or tending sheep or cattle.

Licence identification

7.—(1) Subject to paragraph (5), the keeper of a dog which is required to be licensed shall ensure that the dog wears attached to its collar licence identification which shall relate to—

(a) the dog licence issued in respect of that dog (“the relevant dog licence”); or

(b) the block licence which is valid in relation to that dog (“the relevant block licence”).

(2) Licence identification shall be of metal or plastic not less than 1.00mm in thickness and shall be of the shape, dimensions and colour set out in Schedule 8 in relation to the period during which a dog licence or block licence is issued.

(3) Licence identification shall be issued to the licence holder by the district council for the district in which he resides and shall bear a symbol or mark which denotes the council by which it was issued.

(4) Licence identification shall not be attached to a dog other than—

(a) the dog in respect of which the relevant dog licence was issued; or

(b) a dog in relation to which the relevant block licence was issued; or

(c) the new dog where a licence transfer certification has been issued in accordance with the provisions of Article 6(4) of the Order.

(5) The provisions of paragraph (1) shall not apply to the keeper of a dog—

(a) which is a member of a pack of hounds; or

(b) while that dog is being judged at a competition; or

(c) while that dog is being used for—

(i) any sporting purposes;

(ii) the capture or destruction of vermin;

(iii) the purpose of driving or tending sheep or cattle.

Revocation

8.  The Dogs (Licensing and Identification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1983(3) are revoked.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on 19^th July 2011.

C. McMaster

A senior officer of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Regulation 4(1)

SCHEDULE 1 Application for a Dog Licence

Regulation 4(2)

SCHEDULE 2 Dog Licence

Regulation 4(3)

SCHEDULE 3 Transfer Certificate

Regulation 4(4)

SCHEDULE 4 Application for a refund of dog licence fee

Regulation 4(5)

SCHEDULE 5 Application for a Block Licence

Regulation 4(6)

SCHEDULE 6 Block Licence

Regulation 5(1)

SCHEDULE 7 Particulars to be contained in a register of dog licences and block licences kept by district councils:

1.  The licence holder’s surname, forename/s, address and contact telephone;

2.  The premises at which the dog/s is/are kept if different from the licence-holder’s address;

3.  Type of licence;

4.  In the case of block licences only – the number of dogs kept at the time of application for the licence;

5.  Licence number;

6.  Date of issue of licence;

7.  Date until which the licence is valid; and

8.  Any control conditions which the licence of the dog is subject to.

Regulation 7(2)

SCHEDULE 8 LICENCE IDENTIFICATION

Period during which licence is issued	Shape	Dimensions	Colour
From 1st January 2011 up to and including 31st December 2011	Oval	Major axis not more than 3.5 cms and not less than 3 cms. Minor axis not more than 2.5 cms and not less than 2cms.	Orange
From 1st January 2012 up to and including 31st December 2012	Oval	Major axis not more than 3.5 cms and not less than 3 cms. Minor axis not more than 2.5 cms and not less than 2cms.	Green
From 1st January 2013 up to and including 31st December 2013	Oval	Major axis not more than 3.5 cms and not less than 3 cms. Minor axis not more than 2.5 cms and not less than 2cms.	Yellow
From 1st January 2014 up to and including 31st December 2014	Oval	Major axis not more than 3.5 cms and not less than 3 cms. Minor axis not more than 2.5 cms and not less than 2cms.	Blue

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations prescribe the various forms to be used in relation to licensing of dogs under the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983.

The forms prescribed are—

(a) application for a dog licence;

(b) the dog licence;

(c) application for a block licence;

(d) the block licence;

(e) the certificate transferring an existing licence in respect of a dog which has died to a new dog; and

(f) application for a refund of a dog licence in certain circumstances.

The regulations also provide—

(a) that a dog licence or block licence shall remain in force for a period of one year (Regulation 3);

(b) for the wearing by dogs (other than dogs used by the police, prison service or the armed forces in a public order role and dogs kept by a licensed pet shop) of a collar with the name and address of the keeper of the dog inscribed on the collar or on a plate or badge attached to it (Regulation 6);

(c) for the wearing by dogs of a coloured licence tag attached to their collars (Regulation 7).

The last two provisions do not apply in respect of a dog which is a member of a pack of hounds or while it is being judged at a competition, or while it is being used for sporting purposes, the capture or destruction of vermin or for the purposes of driving or tending sheep or cattle.

The regulations prescribe the particulars to be contained on a register of licences kept by a district council (Regulation 5).

Contravention of the provisions under Regulations 6 and 7 is an offence under Article 31(2) of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 for which a penalty on summary conviction is a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(1)

Formerly the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland; see S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1) Article 3(4)

(2)

S.I. 1983/764 (N.I. 8), as amended by S.I. 1991/2292 (N.I. 21), 2001 c.1 (N.I.) and 2011 c.9 (N.I.)

(3)

S.R. 1983 No. 378 as amended by S.R. 2009 No. 396