Dogs Laws & News

If you are travelling with your dog from the UK to an EU country or Northern Ireland, you need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC). This document verifies that your dog has the necessary vaccinations and parasite treatments to prevent the spread of disease.

The AHC replaced pet passports in January 2021. You cannot use a pet passport when travelling out of Britain. However, pet passports are still used within EU countries and are valid for travel between EU member states.

Getting an Animal Health Certificate

Animal Health Certificates can only be issued by a government authorized Official Veterinarian (OV). To get an AHC, you can contact your veterinary practice to arrange an appointment.

Processes vary from practice to practice, but after you have booked your appointment you are usually sent a form to complete. This form contains information like owner’s details and a description of your dog and needs to be taken to your AHC appointment.

How long does it take to get one?

You should make

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general guidance only and should not be used as legal advice.

There is no UK wide law covering how many dogs can be walked by one person at the same time. However, local councils have their own rules covering this.

In general, the rules are:

• A maximum number of 4 at once for the general public
• A maximum of 6 dogs at once for professional dog walkers

It is important to remember that this does vary from council from council. Ignoring an individual council’s rules can lead to you being issued a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100.

Public Spaces Protection Order

How many dogs that can be walked at once should be covered by a council’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). As the rules are council dependent, they differ depending on where you are in the country.

These PSPO’s cover a wide range of other dog walking rules, like a complete ban on dogs on beaches, where you’re allowed to take your dog off leash, or making it a requirement to carry

In the UK, there is no law mandating the use of lights on dogs at night. So there is no legal requirement for dog owners to put safety lights on collars or harnesses. There are also no laws stating that dogs have to wear any sort of high visibility clothing.

Stay visible, stay safe

 Although it’s not mandatory, using lights on your dog is a highly recommended safety measure at night and in low light conditions, like fog or heavy rain. Increasing your dog’s visibility to other dog walkers, motorists, and pedestrians can help reduce accidents.

If you let your dog off leash to enjoy open spaces at night, using a safety light or hi-vis gear will also make it far easier to keep track of your dog.

Rural dog owners might be very used to walking along country roads after dark with just a torch. But it’s recommended that both the owner and the dog wear reflective clothing to keep visible, even on familiar, quiet roads.

Safety tips for walking your dog in the dark

For You

• Wear reflective clothing

Swimming is a great activity for dogs and most breeds love being in the water. Swimming is also fantastic exercise for canines.  It helps improve their cardiovascular health, strengthen their muscles, and boosts circulation.

On warmer days, letting your dog off lead to jump into a pond or lake is a nice treat and is an excellent way for them to expel energy. But there are a few things you should keep in mind for your dog’s safety.

There also might be restrictions in place for certain bodies of water or wildlife conservation areas you should be aware of.

See our tips below to safely and legally let your dog swim in the wild in the UK.

General safety tips and advice

• Strong currents and tides. You should only let your dog swim in calm waters. Even a small current can cause strong swimmers to struggle.
• Supervise your dog at all times. Never leave your dog unattended in the water, even if they are experienced in the water and the water looks calm.
• Your dog should know basic commands. It’s

Retired police dog Stella has won The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award competition at Crufts 2023.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier Stella and handler PC Claire Todd have been serving together at Gloucestershire police for eight and a half years in drugs, cash and firearms recovery.

Staffordshire Bull Terriers are an uncommon breed for police work. When Stella started with Gloucestershire police in 2014 she was the first Staffy to be taken into the UK force. The more common breed for sniffer work is the English Springer Spaniel.

Service dogs are taken in by their handlers as puppies and begin basic training from a young age. Stella’s owner and handler PC Claire Todd got her from a RSPCA rescue shelter and have shared an impressive nine year career together. Since 2014, Stella and Claire have found weapons and thousands of pounds worth of drugs and cash, helping keep their local community safe.

Outside of Stella’s work with the police bringing criminals to justice and keeping drugs and guns off the

There is a lot to consider when planning a hiking route with your dog. Even if you take your four legged companion everywhere with you, going on a long walk and trekking off the beaten path has its own unique challenges that you should plan carefully for. 

Although hiking in Britain with a dog may seem tame compared to backpacking aboard, you still need to be prepared and plan carefully to ensure your dog’s wellbeing. Plus you need to be aware of laws and restrictions on certain trails.

In this article we provide an overview of what you should know about hiking with your dog in the UK.

Is your dog suitable for hiking?

The first question you need to ask yourself is if your dog is up to the task. Long walks, lots of time outdoors, and being constantly surrounded by wildlife and new experiences all mean your dog needs to be physically up to the task and have the right temperament.

Breeds

Not all breeds are suited to hiking and walking for hours on end. Brachycephalic dog breeds (breeds

A story recently appeared on the ITV News website about a man who was fined almost £700 for walking his dog off lead while on the Barton Path Riverside Walk in Dover, Kent.  The riverside is under a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) which are put in place by individual UK councils to protect certain areas such as high streets, playgrounds, high streets, sports fields, and nature reveres.

PSPO’s include keeping dogs on leads while in the area at all times, usually to safeguard children and wildlife. These areas have to be signposted to inform dog owners that they are in PSPO area and that they must keep their dog on leash.

In this Dover case, a Dog Warden working for Dover District Council had spotted the man walking his dog off lead and asked him to put a lead on. Local newspaper Kent Online reported that the man ignored the request and walked away. He was later identified and the case went to court where he was fined £200 and an additional £375 for court costs, plus a victim surcharge

Letting your dog off leash is a great way for them to expel excess energy, give them a sense of freedom, and allow them to explore their surroundings. However, even in quiet and seemingly safe environments, it’s not always a good idea to do so.

In this guide we go over the basics of when it’s safe and legal to let your dog off their lead in the UK.

The UK Law

In the UK there is no law which requires owners to keep their dog on a lead in public.

Certain public and private areas may have signage outlining restrictions for dogs, which can include them being on a lead. This means owners need to be aware of these individual requirements whenever they want to take their dog off leash.

Although there is no defined law on dog leads, it is against the law for a dog to be “dangerously out of control anywhere”. According to the gov.uk website a dog is considered dangerously out of control if:

• it injures someone
• it makes someone worried that it might injure them
• it attacks someone’s animal
• the owner

The government are looking to introduce new powers to reduce puppy smuggling and ban the import of dogs with cropped ears and docked tails.

The proposed new powers include:

• Raising the minimum age of imported puppy’s from 15 weeks to 6 months.
• A ban on importing heavily pregnant dogs to safeguard puppy and mother welfare.
• Prohibiting the movement into Great Britain of dogs with cropped ears and docked tails.

Why are these changes needed?

Demand for puppies increased massively during the 2020 lockdown, causing the average price for a puppy to go up from £1,900 to over £3,000. People with no experience of dog breeding, and some unscrupulous traders have, seen this as a business opportunity with no regard for the welfare of the dogs.

From the Government’s official press release:

“More than 66,000 dogs were commercially imported into the UK last year (2020) according to Animal and Plant Health Agency figures. However, evidence shows a recent rise in low-welfare imports and smuggling activity,

The UK government’s new Pet Theft Taskforce delivered a report in September 2021 which outlined recommendations to tackle rising pet theft.

The most important recommendation is to make pet abductions a specific crime. The new law would recognise the welfare of animals and that pets are valued as more than just property.

Stealing pets is a criminal offense and offenders can face a maximum sentence of seven years. But this sits under the current Theft Act 1968 law which determines pets as property. The new proposed law takes into account the Animal Welfare Act 2006, whereby if someone steals an animal from its owner then they’re also liable for prosecution for animal cruelty and other offensives included in the Animal Welfare Act. It is not currently known what the maximum sentence for a new offence of pet abduction might be.

Report recommendations

The government’s official press release highlights that the Pet Theft Taskforce recommendations include:

• The creation of a new ‘pet abduction’