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Wiltshire Council has fined a man from Trowbridge over £200 for not having a collar identification tag or a microchip registered for his dog. Johnny Rooney Lansdowne of Littleton, Trowbridge, was fined £219 after a member of the public discovered a stray dog in Seend on January 10, 2022, and the owner could not be identified, as the dog didn’t have a collar on or an identification tag.
The following day the dog was claimed by Mr Rooney who provided information to confirm ownership of the dog.
The owner was served with a microchip notice that required the dog to be registered within 21 days. Despite being sent repeated reminders, the microchip's owner details were not updated on a government-approved register, and the decision was made by the council to prosecute.
The case was heard at Salisbury Magistrates' Court on October 11. A fine of £60 was issued (reduced to £40 for a guilty plea), plus a victim surcharge of £34 and prosecution costs of £145 (reduced for proportionality), meaning a total fine of £219.
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Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Public Health and Protection Ian Blair-Pilling said: “While we only pursue prosecutions as a last resort, I am pleased with the outcome as our Dog Warden team deal with a large number of stray dogs. The more dogs that have collars and microchip tags, the more that can be reunited quicker and easier with their owners.
“Thankfully most dogs are able to be returned to their owners, however some must be taken to kennels where they are held legally for seven days and if not claimed the Bath Cats and Dogs home rehome them on our behalf. The outcome of this case serves as a timely reminder that all dogs legally must be wearing both a collar and tag in public spaces and be microchipped with the details registered to a government-approved provider.
“It is in the interest of everyone that dogs have collars and tags so they can be reunited quickly with their owners, and time and money is saved by the council which can be spent on delivery of frontline services.”
The cost of the fine in this case could have paid for 22 dog collars and tags. This fine could have been avoided if the dog was wearing a collar and had a tag identifying the owner's contact details.
To report a stray dog people should call Wiltshire Council, 24 hrs a day, 0300 4560107.
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