[Livia]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

If you have your dog in your back garden it should also be covered imo, what business would a Postman or any usual caller have going into your back garden?

Also, you're supposed to have dog licences here........nobody does though unless they get caught then they get one for that year and never renew it, no one ever follows it up either, we don't have the funds to spend money on policing that properly, there are far more pressing things that or tax money needs to go on

I think back gardens can be a bit of a grey area. You can walk into my back garden through a gate, many people do. Same with my previous house. I can understand the reasoning even if i don't 100% agree, but you can't legislate for every single garden. However, you can legislate for inside a property.

They already have animal wardens here. They investigate truly appalling cases of neglect, people breeding dogs relentlessly to sell the puppies etc.. Currently, the warden cannot remove a dog unless it is in imminent danger and even then the owner has rights. If dogs were licenced and no licence was produced, then the animal could be removed. There are no dangerous dogs, only dangerous owners. If the cost of the licence was, say £25 it might maybe deter some people from getting a dog, or a number of dogs, they cannot afford to care for or do not intend to care for, and the revenue raised could be used to police it. I think it would pay for itself in time.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Livia

I think back gardens can be a bit of a grey area. You can walk into my back garden through a gate, many people do. Same with my previous house. I can understand the reasoning even if i don't 100% agree, but you can't legislate for every single garden. However, you can legislate for inside a property.

They already have animal wardens here. They investigate truly appalling cases of neglect, people breeding dogs relentlessly to sell the puppies etc.. Currently, the warden cannot remove a dog unless it is in imminent danger and even then the owner has rights. If dogs were licenced and no licence was produced, then the animal could be removed. There are no dangerous dogs, only dangerous owners. If the cost of the licence was, say £25 it might maybe deter some people from getting a dog, or a number of dogs, they cannot afford to care for or do not intend to care for, and the revenue raised could be used to police it. I think it would pay for itself in time.

I take on board what you say there Livia, the sad thing is there doesn't seem nuch in the way as grey areas as to this new law.

Speaking for myself obviously, if I went to someones door and didn't get an answer at the front,even if there was access to the back garden,I still myself would not uninvited go in.

For people who have dogs,(I find the vast majority do keep them on a lead in public), in all fairness to the owner and dog too, they have to have somewhere to be able to run around and play that is their area and for me the back garden is certainly that.
So for me,the back garden is private property and no one uninvited should go in it.

Just the same as having Children playing in the back garden, uninvited people should not be entering at that time either,never mind just applying this to dogs.

[Niamh.]

Yeah, basically what Joey said about the back garden ^ I think any outside area that isn't the main route used to get to someones front door (or main door) should be covered.