Can you help - proposed dog licensing in Wandsworth

Cross posted with permission:

I've been asked to go on ITV's London Tonight to stick up for dog owners... any help welcomed! And if you know anything about the council's strange plans be very keen to hear!

http://coldwetnose.blogspot.com/2008/01/to...-challenge.html

Cheers

Beverley
Dogs Today


Please help us to shed a better light on good dog owners

This is what I could find on the council website:

http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/Home/My...il.htm?id=5487

Well it does seem a bit extreme on the surface and as usual the law abiding will abide and the others wont but I can understand what the council are saying and it does seem, allbeit very OTT that they are trying to stop irresponsible owners but as I said in my opening line the irresponsible are irresponsible for a reason!
Becky

I agree, I can see what they are trying to do but we have had the debate on here a million times and from every angle it doesn't look good, how many dogs will end up in rescue because the owners cant afford the license? They are in effect punishing all of the owners of the said breeds for something the minority get up to. If it happened here I know more than a few little old ladies who would have to say good bye to their best friends.

I don't see how they can justifying a £500 annual fee, bearing in mind the area it is there must be 1,000's that fit the bill so exactly how much are they going to pay people to 'police' this, which technically their dog warden should be doing already!
Becky

I don't see how they can name breeds like that and where they would draw the line. Perhaps they should monitor people under a certain age with dogs or people they know are irresponsible rather than going on breed. £500 is extortionate.

we couldnt afford £500 pounds and we are both working... so god knows how others would afford it...

smack head dealers and idiots would just avoid paying like everything in life, we would get penalised coz of the idiots!

OMG that is totally OTT, although having read the Council's statement, they do state that it seems to be people between the age of 13-17 that have 'menacing' dogs, so why dont they just apply the licence to those in that age bracket ?

Most of the teens I know between those ages can't look after themselves let alone a dog

You know what this is? This is not the police trying to stop the problem of dangerous dogs, it's the council. This is a council attempting to cash in on a child's death. Makes me want to be sick - it's purely financial to them!