Dog ownership and the law

Your dog must wear a collar, showing your name and address, when in a public place (even if the dog is tattooed or mircochipped.)

You must clean up your dog's mess. If you fail to pick up and dispose of your dog's mess, you can be prosecuted with a fixed penalty of £50 or a maximum court fine of £1000 and a criminal record.

• It is an offence for your dog to be 'dangerously out of control' in a public place
• If your dog causes injury or damage to a person, property or livestock, you may have to pay compensation
• You can be prosecuted if your dog is a nuisance to your neighbours, with a maximum fine of £5,000

All dogs must be microchipped. You will be fined up to £500 if you fail to microchip your dog.