Dogs

Unlike the comedian WC Fields, who remarked that anyone who hates dogs and children can’t be all bad, I have no objection to well-behaved dogs (or children). 

In the UK, roughly 40% of households own at least one dog; 20% of dog-owning households have two dogs; 6% have three or more. Here are the totals.  In 2020 there were approximately 10 million dogs, by 2026 that count had risen to over 15 million, a 50% increase in six years, partly driven by acquisition of dogs during Covid. 

Further increase in the indigenous canine population arises through the ‘rescuing’ of dogs from places like Romania. There are, it occurs to me, alternative ways of dealing with unwanted dogs, other than ferrying them halfway around the world to a country which already has more than its share.

As a walker unaccompanied by a pooch, many owners do not understand that other people are intimidated by their dogs barking or leaping up at them and appear unfamiliar with the notion that to take animals into the public domain they should be appropriately trained. 

Tim Martin, the owner of Wetherspoons, has partially redeemed himself in my eyes for having supported Brexit by excluding dogs unless the owner can produce documentation proving it is a genuine assistance animal. No one regards the requirement to produce a driving licence on demand as an imposition, yet dog owners have reacted with indignation to this entirely reasonable rule.

The re-introduction of the dog license, with exemptions for genuine assistance dogs, would make people think more carefully about owning a dog. The RSPCA supports dog licenses which they argue would help to reduce dog attacks and counter illegal puppy farming.

Many other countries operate dog licenses. In the Republic of Ireland, a dog licence costs €20. In The Netherlands it ranges from €60 to €150 by municipality. Some countries operate a sliding scale depending on the breed or number of dogs.

When the UK dog license was introduced in 1878, it cost seven shillings and sixpence. The equivalent today is over £50. 

With over 15 million dogs in the UK, charging the equivalent of the 1878 cost, £50, would yield an annual income of £750m, part of which could be used to fund local dog wardens who would check compliance by scanning embedded microchips, thus creating additional employment (entailing lots of healthy walking) as well as encouraging responsible dog ownership.