Dogs May Need To Be Insured And Microchipped

Published: 9 March 2010 By MoneyHighStreet Staff Leave a Comment

The Government plans to toughen laws to protect the public against dangerous dogs and as a result all dogs may need to be covered by insurance and have a microchip.

Pet insurance Environment Secretary Hilary Benn and Home Secretary Alan Johnson announced the plans to address rising public concern that some dog owners are irresponsible and some dogs are being used as weapons and to intimidate communities.

The police seized 900 dangerous dogs in London alone last year.

Dog owners may be required by law to have a microchip implanted on their pet and pay for insurance to cover damage or injuries their pet causes.

You can currently get pet insurance for dogs from around £5 a month upwards.

Alan Johnson said “Britain is a nation of animal lovers, but people have a fundamental right to feel safe on the streets and in their homes. The vast majority of dog owners are responsible, but there is no doubt that some people breed and keep dogs for the sole purpose of intimidating others, in a sense using dogs as a weapon. It is this sort of behaviour that we will not tolerate; it is this sort of behaviour that we are determined to stop.”

As well as insurance and microchipping, the government consultation will also look at

Extending dangerous dogs laws to cover all places including private property
Giving police and councils more powers to tackle the problem of dangerous dogs by the introduction of Dog Control Notices
Considering removing exemption rules that allow some people to keep banned types of dogs or if exemptions are to remain ensuring that the system works more effectively.

You can get more details on the Government website.

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Dogs May Need To Be Insured And Microchipped

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