Write a commentThe Department of Agriculture and Rural Development wishes to remind all dog owners, including greyhound owners, of changes to the block dog licensing rules from 1 January 2013.
From 1 January 2013 dog owners must ensure that all dogs, including greyhounds, kept under a block licence issued on or after 9 April 2012 are microchipped if they are eight weeks or more old. Also anyone applying for a block licence, on or after the 1 January 2013, must have any dog aged eight weeks or over mircochipped before they apply for the licence.
Dogs Trust is providing free microchipping, for any dog including greyhounds kept under either a single dog licence or a block licence, until 31 December 2012. Dog owners are encouraged to contact their local Council to obtain more information on how to avail of the free microchipping offer while there is still time.
Where a dog is not microchipped in accordance with the Dogs Order 1983 and the Dogs (Licensing and Identification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012, it will not be considered licensed, which is an offence liable to prosecution.
Further information on dog licensing is available at http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/dogs
