Ive just been to my first obedience class with blue and was told its illegal NOT to have an idetification tag on his collar! I didnt know this was illegal?? and apparantly theres a police officer coming to the class next week and if everyones not got one on their dog they could get cautioned!!! Does everyone else know this, because as i said until now i didnt!

Good to see the police are being deployed in such an effective manner :rolleyes:

Yes you do need to have a tag and I think it is tel number and address by law ? Maybe wrong so will not be offended if corrected ! :)

Question though if you have the dog identichipped and tattoed is that not classed as suitable identification now ?

Lucy
xx

Thats what i thought as Blues microchipped, she said it doesnt matter as they cant always be scanned

Owners name and address are required (suppose some people don't have phones).

Chopping and tattooing are not legal requirements (for the UK) collars and tags are.

Chopping dogs? :D :D

Yep, it's illegal not to have a collar with ID tag. See here for more information.

News to me, my mum didnt know either!

I think you might find the police officer is not coming to just check ID tags but might very well be coming to do a Kennel Good Citizen tests or similar as one of the KCGC test is the checking of ID tags !

Tattoo/chip is not enough & the ID disc is still needed

I think this is all wrong.  If you find a stray dog, you then have the owners address.  The owner is probably out searching for the dog.  Looks like a job for Mr Stripey Jumper and Swag Bag to me.....or am I just being an old cynic?

LOL they would be ok breaking in here first get past the other dogs ! & as it would be very unlikely to be my big GSD girl they remains would be parceled up & popped in the bin !

Think of it this way. If you find a stray dog, you then have the owner's address. So you can take the dog back to them! ;) Otherwise you have to call the dog warden, who takes it away, it gets put into kennels and (as happened several times) the dog is rehomed or destroyed before the owners locate him.

And don't forget, do NOT put the DOG'S name on the disc, just the owner's!

Marianne

Why do you not put the dogs name on the tag?

Because if the dog was stolen or the finder decided to illegally keep the dog they would know it's name

Yeap, by law the dog has to wear a collar and an ID tag with the owner's name and address. I was handed over a stray dog with no collar, but clearly a loved pet. I had to do loads and loads of chasing around, as if the dog was taken by the warden he would have been taken to the pound 60 miles north of where the dog was found!!!! (some silly council cost-saving scheme). The dog was not microchipped and I had to call the police of 2 counties and their relevant wardens. It was a looooad of hassle on my part, but was determined not to have this dog traumatised by being taken away so far and possibly never found. Eventually, the owner reported him to the police and they matched it up with my report.

So, to get to the point. Yes, have the legal requirement of a tag, but bear in mind this can easily come off, so please, please, please if you care about your dog's welfare also have them microchipped. It will save you and your dog a lot of heartache.

By the way, the owner had the dog microchipped that same day (lovely lady that she was too!).

Cheers,
Patty

What happens if the microchip moves or fails(yet it does happen)?

Every vet visit we make I ask him to 'scan her chip' :) They don't mind. Missies' had hers 8 years and it hasn't moved - yet! Even if you only go yearly, you can check see if its still there :) Mine have three tags each, one with name, address, phone no. one with vets number, and one microchip tag.

Dee

Thats ok for your dog but I know of several dogs whose chips have moved & some that have failed(well they don't read at all) & if a dog goes missing middle way between vets visits you wouldn't know would you ?

Yes moonmaiden, he is coming to do a test for the older dogs

Why should you not put the dog's name on the tag?

Also, I have a round disk tag with our home phone number on it, and a barrel with both my name and my partners name, our address, and both our mobile phone numbers. Both tag and barrel will be going on her collar. Is this enough?

Because if the dog was stolen or the finder decided to illegally keep the dog they would know it's name

As far as I am aware, the best information to put on your id tag is something like

Your Surname
House Number - Postcode
Telephone Number inc Dialing Code

You should never put the dog's name, because if someone who found them wanted to steal them they could coax the dog with treats and calling its name, (the dog is more likely to pay attention). You don't put your full address on, because if you have a beautiful pedigree and there is a sinister person, they may be attracted to your address to see if you have any other dogs.

Authorities can check the house number and postcode and the dog returned - if someone in the street finds your dog they can call the telephone number and you can collect, meet up or give them your complete address.

We sell lots of id tags and always suggest that information - some people still put their dogs name on if they live in a small community (most people know so and so has a dog called daisy) ultimately its up to you.

Both of my dogs are microchipped and wear an id tag, just incase the microchip fails or moves etc... :)

>You don't put your full address on,

I'm afraid that's what the law demands.

>>You don't put your full address on,
>I'm afraid that's what the law demands.

The postcode and house number is enough information for any one with authority ie dog warden, shelter, police to determine a full address.

Perhaps it varies from county to county - i enquired with our local dog warden about what was required on identification tags and he suggested that layout.

>The postcode and house number is enough information for any one with authority ie dog warden, shelter, police to determine a full address.

That may be so, but it's not a lot of help if you've found a stray dog out of 'office hours'. In these circumstances the finder's on their own ...

>>The postcode and house number is enough information for any one with authority ie dog warden, shelter, police to determine a full address.
>That may be so, but it's not a lot of help if you've found a stray dog out of 'office hours'. In these circumstances the finder's on their own ...

Not if there is a telephone number surely? - The owner is either in or out, the same as they would be if you took the dog to the address.

If there's a phone number, the owner's usually using it, trying to contact police, dog wardens, etc.

Basically what generally happens (certainly around here) is that if there's no address on the tag so the finder can't take the dog to its home, they generally have to let it go again, telling it to "Go home!" and hope it does so ... :(

Doesn't help someone like me who often used to get followed by a straying dog.  You can guarantee it will be out of hours so unless you drive yoru stuck as to what to do with the dog.  If it has the address on you can walk it home.

I thought so I don't think any of the copper's I know go around checking for ID discs ;) too busy giving out traffic tickets to the silly s*ds who think the country roads are a race track

Control of Dog Order 1992

Every dog while in a highway or in a place of public resort, shall wear a collar with the name and address of the owner inscribed on the collar or on a plate or badge attached thereto.

You can be fined up to £5,000 if your dog does not wear an identification disc. We are only able to engrave a maximum of four lines on each side of the disc. The more characters on a line, the smaller the engraving will be.

Speaking as a KC approved Good Citizen's Test Examiner, I can assure you that the above is the law and has been for some time.

You may also, if you wish put your name, postcode with your house number/name, however although that is legal it will not help you or your dog unless the person finding it has access to postcodes.............

If it not an "authority" that finds your dog, but Joe Bloggs, how will they return the dog to you, many people will not take another dog home with them, put it in their car, go to a vet, dog warden or police, and even if they wanted to, out of hours is a tad difficult!

As for putting the dog's name on the tag, TBH it matters diddly squat IME, friendly dogs will go off with anyone at any time, name or no name, unsocial ones will ignore you even if you can spout their name, their owners and their mum's ! :D

By all means have your dogs chipped and/or tattood but remember Joe Public will not have access to the contact numbers or scanner.....

PS it is Dog Wardens that will fine you generally, not the police...............  ask the Kennel Club!

Dog wardens don't actually fine you the courts actually fine people(including motoring offences)the notices can be issued by3rd parties

It does depend on the dog warden as well I know one who will impound any dog & cart it off to kennels even if it 10 feet away from it's home & another who will do his utmost to get the dog/cat etc back without going into kennels, but then he is a dog person & the other is an ex RSPCA animal collection woman

Mine have a legal address tag, a missing pet tag , a tattoo & a tattoo tag LOL you can hear them coming !

Sorry, you are right, yes the DW will issue you the notices, a bit like Traffic Wardens issue parking tickets! :rolleyes:

LOL At least you know the law part ;) Tohme, thats why I like one DW & the other well nuff said. My lot are like macho men with their tags

>You may also, if you wish put your name, postcode with your house number/name, however although that is legal it >will not help you or your dog unless the person finding it has access to postcodes.............

>If it not an "authority" that finds your dog, but Joe Bloggs, how will they return the dog to you, many people will >not take another dog home with them, put it in their car, go to a vet, dog warden or police, and even if they >wanted to, out of hours is a tad difficult!

Isnt that why you put a telephone number on it as well?

Personally, i would never return a dog to the address on the tag - who knows what is behind the door. I would rather either hold on to the dog and telephone the number from my mobile, or put the dog in the car and telephone them from home etc..

imho, its just safer to not include your street address if you have more than one dog.

Some people do not have phones or mobiles.  If they do they are probably on them, phoning around.........

Some people do not have cars, or wish to put an unknown entity into one.

However, everyone must make a risk assessment according to their own beliefs and weigh up the pros and cons and consequences of these decisions.

I have just done mine with petback protect.
i have just been told, its law that they have to have a disc on there collar, or we could get fined.
Also do not put telephone no, dogs name or address because of the people who are demanding ransoms for your dog ect.
they also send a free DNA test kit, as this will stand up in court to say that the dog is yours.
My other dog was done with identi chip 2 years ago, as i hadnt seen this one then.

>Also do not put telephone no, dogs name or address

They shouldn't be telling people this - the law states that the owner's name and address must be on the tag.

Our vets advise putting their phone number on and the owners number, nothing else. Their reason, enough information to get the dog back home not enough to cause problems with stealing etc. Alos and very importaintly IMHO if the dog is found injured it is easy to contact the best people to fix it up.

My main problem is finding a tag that will stay on their collars, by the time they have been through the mud and brambles etc they normally come out without them. :(

OK so you find a dog and ring up the owner, not in, or phone busy.  You ring up the vet, maybe out of hours, and you say what "I have found a black labrador with your telephone number on it"?

Hmmm, so how will he know which one?

Our vets has a full 24 hour service, so no problem there and they can search their database by phone number. Im not entirely sure that it is fool proof and hope I will never have to test it out. Have to say that mine normally have their 'lucky dog club' tags on as well, not least because these appear to be the only ones that dont get broken/lost!

I am sure your vets will be only too thrilled to trawl through the phone numbers of the labradors on their books at 02:00 on a winter's morning, still I expect they will be happy with the bill......... ;)

Are there really people who don't have phones?
and does anyone know of somebody being fined for not having an address on their dog tag?
I just have our phone number on the tag and if I ever do loose the dog I'll use my mobile to ring the dog warden etc so leaving my land line free.

I know lots of people, particularly elderly ones, who don't have mobiles, only the landline.

Unfortunately, because I don't usually have my mobile with me (it goes with whoever's got the car), if I find a lost dog (yours?) without an address on his tag I'll just have to let him go. :(

I just presumed people would take him home or find a phone, when we found a stray roaming on a main road there is no way we would have let him go again, we took him to the police and he was claimed by his owner the next day.

Some of us have dogs that would not let another one in.

And police stations in my neck of the woods are only open 30 minutes per day.........

I nearly let the last dog I found go cos it had not address on its tag, it came from around the corner..........

Ive found loads of lost dogs as a dog lover ive always been prepared to keep the dog sometimes its taken a few days and if you speak to the dog warden there often happy for you too keep hold of the dog till the owner can be found . well thats what ive found .
me personly could never let one go the chances of it being run over I just couldent live with :( .

I like the idea of adding to your info plus the vets number on the tag , It makes alot of sence if your vet is a 24 hour vet .Say you put your dog in kennels or you have a dog walker and your dog gets away..... your not in to answer the door or phone to get your dog .. then you might find the vet has collected your dog  or someone brought it to the vets .
The vet would know the dog is registerd there and most likely you would be calling to ask if s/he was handed in ;) no need to look threw all the records unless the owner never came to collect the dog

I can see your point about having your address on the tag but I think it depends on what kind of area you live in, Although we live in a nice enough area we are never far from people who wouldn't think twice about breaking into your house if they knew you where out walking the dog. It only takes a quick friendly stroke of the dog(we have a very friendly dog) and they have your address.

Maybe I'm being cynical but having been burgled before I'm not taking any chances.

If someone really wants to find us from our phone number alone they will.

>If someone really wants to find us from our phone number alone they will.

Yes, but the easier you make it for people to return your dog, the more likely they're going to. When my dogs have gone missing that's been my main concern.

If you have a noticeable dog (or number of dogs) people are going to know where you live anyway, whether they've seen your dog's tag or not! ;)
:)

Maybe your right I'm possibly being paranoid but being on my 6th dog in 20 years of dog ownership, I've yet to loose a dog (touch wood LOL)but I've been broken into twice in 20 years.