Dog owners who uses harnesses instead of collars while walking their pet could be breaking the law.
The Control of Dogs order 1992 law states that a dog must wear a collar with the owners name and address on it.
This means being out with your dog in public without your details on your pet's tag is actually illegal - as The Daily Record reports
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Owners may opt to use a harness for health reasons as using a collar can press on the windpipes and cause problems, especially with smaller dogs.
However, they may still be in guilty of an offence against the Animal Health Act 1981 - which is "punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale".
A level 5 fine was previously capped at a maximum of £5000 - but this changed in March 2015 - and could now even result in a prison sentence.
A spokesperson for DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) told TeamDogs : “For crimes committed after 13 March 2015, level 5 has been done away with and all criminal penalties expressed as being punishable on summary conviction by a maximum fine of £5,000 or more, or expressed as being a level 5 fine, are now punishable by a fine of any amount (i.e. unlimited).
"That’s as a result of section 85 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
“Therefore, the maximum penalty on summary conviction will be up to six months imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.”
However, the fine actually handed out is likely to be a lot lower.
In 2018, a Cocker Spaniel who was picked up without a collar on near Sapcote, East Midlands, earned their owner a fine of £50, with £50 costs and a £30 victim surcharge for admitting the offence.
Owners should be aware that their postcode must also be included on their dog’s ID collar or tag, but the law does not obligate you to include your phone number.
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