Derry pet owners are to be offered a dog licence amnesty, Derry City Council has announced.
The Council is bringing in a two-month dog amnesty to encourage dog owners to licence their dogs and to use the Council’s online licensing service.
The scheme – being brought in during February and March as part of the Council’s Responsible Dog Ownership Strategy – was agreed by members at last week’s Environmental Services Committee meeting.
The current fee for a dog licence is £12.50. A concessionary rate of £5.00 applies to those in receipt of income related benefit or for those whose dog has been neutered.
A dog licence is free to anyone over 65 years old for their first dog and then a £5.00 concessionary rate for any additional dog.
Although a dog licence is free to someone over 65 years old it is still a legal requirement for them to hold a valid licence.
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.
Cllr Sean Carr, Environmental Services Committee chairperson, said while the number of licensed dogs in the Derry City Council area was low when compared with councils of equivalent size it was felt the two month amnesty would reduce numbers further.
Dog licences can be obtained online at http://www.derrypayments.com/Online-Payments/Dog-Licence-Application.aspx or at Derry City Council Offices, 98 Strand Road, BT48 7NN, telephone 028 71365151.
Alternatively an application can be posted out on request or downloaded from www.derrycity.gov.uk/dogs”
