Tenants forced to have pets microchipped in Brighton and Hove (From The Argus)
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Tenants forced to have pets microchipped in Brighton and Hove
1:50pm Monday 25th February 2013 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter
Thousands of tenants will be forced to microchip their pets – to stop hundreds of dogs being left abandoned on the streets.
Brighton and Hove City Council said the number of stray dogs in the city has doubled since 2008.
Of the 400 reported last year, local authority bosses said only half could be returned to their owners with the remaining 200 placed in over-burdened rescue homes.
To combat the problem, officials are telling all residents in its 12,300 properties they must register and microchip their pets with the council.
It will also ban tenants from “irresponsibly” breeding animals with anyone flouting the law facing a fine and possible eviction from their home.
It is understood that anyone who does not microchip their pet will also face a fine.
Liz Wakefield, chairman of the council’s housing committee, said: “The council is supportive of pet ownership and we do help people to keep their pets when they are experiencing problems.
“But it is equally important for the community as a whole, that tenants are clear about the penalties for disregard of legislated animal welfare.”
Irresponsible ownership
Letters are currently being sent to properties and community groups across the city informing them of the new policy.
It comes after a series of complaints from residents about irresponsible pet ownership.
One resident of a block in Grove Hill, Brighton, said she was getting little sleep as dogs in her building kept her awake.
She said: “When I moved into the block in 1987 it was for over 50s and no dogs were allowed so I had to let my beloved dog go.
“Now the place is full of dogs.”
Dawn Barnett, who represents Hangleton and Knoll on the council, said there were cases in her ward where some tenants had three dogs in a one bedroom flat.
She added neighbours were complaining about antisocial behaviour, including late-night noise and fouling.
Coun Barnett said: “People who dump their pets on the street are not animal lovers. The council is 100% right on this and has to be done to stop cruelty to animals.
“To microchip a pet is to protect it.”
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Comments(13)
bug eye
says...
2:12pm Mon 25 Feb 13
I think it should be extended to say these animals should also be neutered as animal rescue centres insist. I was told a family in-breeding large breed dogs and selling for hundreds of pounds were in appaulling conditions in a council property, no tax paid, and no papers or vaccinations for the new owners, just lots of health problems.
fredflintstone1
says...
2:16pm Mon 25 Feb 13
If not, why not?
WhatsNotToLike
says...
2:43pm Mon 25 Feb 13
charlie smirke
says...
2:51pm Mon 25 Feb 13
rayellerton
says...
2:54pm Mon 25 Feb 13
chrismilo
says...
3:04pm Mon 25 Feb 13
charlie smirke wrote:Yes it was 37.5p when the half penny was scrapped so was the dog licencse as adminstration costs to alter everything would be too high & wasnt benefiting anything as cost hadn't risen for years
Does anyone know why they stopped the original dog licenses that everyone used to have?
charlie smirke
says...
3:43pm Mon 25 Feb 13
chrismilo wrote:Thanks for the info, I certainly never knew that!
charlie smirke wrote:Yes it was 37.5p when the half penny was scrapped so was the dog licencse as adminstration costs to alter everything would be too high & wasnt benefiting anything as cost hadn't risen for years
Does anyone know why they stopped the original dog licenses that everyone used to have?
kkj
says...
4:32pm Mon 25 Feb 13
WhatsNotToLike wrote:The council can make this a condition of tenancy for its properties, just as it can other conditions. It has no jurisdiction in that regard for tenants of other landlords, or for owner-occupiers.
I don't deny it is a positive thing to micro-chip your pets. Mine are both Chipped and insured from the day I brought them home. But, it says in the article it is only 'tenants' I take this to mean Council owned homes? - If so, how is this fair, tarring all with the same brush, for the sake of a minority of owners! It should be a rule for all pet owners full stop. Not just Tenants. There are thousands more homes in B & H, privately rented and owned.
It would require legislation to apply it all dog-owners. However, the government announced a couple of weeks or so back, that legislation will be introduced to make all dog-owners get their animals microchipped by 2016.
FC
says...
4:52pm Mon 25 Feb 13
WhatsNotToLike
says...
4:54pm Mon 25 Feb 13
Thanks for that feedback. Perhaps, those who don't already have their dogs chipped, get it done sooner rather than later, as no doubt, come the 2016 legislation deadline, micro-chipping will suddenly go up in cost!
Juleyanne
says...
11:48pm Mon 25 Feb 13
Responsible pet ownership is the aim.
Reducing strays and making owners accountable for their pets is common sense. It breaks my heart to see heartless landlords and letting agencies totally banning a tenants right to have a companion pet, especially as so many of us now live alone. We want to encourage the majority of good landlords and letting agencies to accept pets providing the owner is responsible and is happy to prove as necessary they will care for that pet properly and if necessary, with private tenancies be prepared to pay an additional deposit as an insurance should any damage occur. What we definitely do not want is irresponsible fly by night owners and to all be judged as such by way of finding unflexible landlords or letting agencies placing bans on the responsible good owners! We also want to stop the heartbreaking scenerio of pets being ripped apart from their loving owners and ending up in animal shelters when measures to protect both landlord, letting agent and tenant with well behaved and cared for pet are so easy to set up by way of pet tenancies (see Dogs Trust site) or petfriendlypropertie
s.org.uk. That way everyone is happy and a pet continues to live happily with it's owner with a landlords/letting agents approval and finally animal rehoming charities will no longer be struggling to cope with the tsunami of dumped pets (sadly many shelters are forced to euthanize perfectly healthy animals due to sheer lack of space and funds). The answer to all this is in sensible requirements and agreements between landlord and tenant.
thevoiceoftruth
says...
5:20pm Tue 26 Feb 13
FC wrote:Not all council tenants are on benefits, FC.
How can council tenants even afford pets when they're on the benefits they claim are hard to live on?
Wow, this must be the first initiative the council has introduced that I agree with. Great news!
Hoarder12345444 says...
1:58pm Mon 25 Feb 13