£1,200 fine for no dog-tag

Pietro Forgione has received a fine of £1,200 for not having a tag on his dog. His dog, a Husky named Sheba, was twice found roaming the streets without a tag bearing his name and address, although the dog did have a collar. The Magistrates Court in Gloucester fined Sheba’s owner, Pietro Forgione, £1,200 after finding him guilty of two charges of allowing his dog to roam the streets with no tag.

The verdict was handed out without Mr Forgione being present as he didn’t even know he had been summoned.

He stated when he found out his fine:

When I found out what I have to pay I felt sickened. The dog did have an identification tag but it was nicked. I then had to pay £75 at Teckels and they suggested electronic tagging.

I then spent £20 on having him chipped, so he did have identification on the second time.

The dog was discovered on the streets on April 23rd and then again on May 19th having escaped from his owner’s home, and was on both occasions taken to the Animal shelter in Whitminster.

It was the local council who prosecuted Mr Forgione, with council member Elisabeth Bird declaring:

Owners of dogs must understand that they have legal responsibilities. We will prosecute when owners flout the law.

Mr Forgione was served with two summons on July 1 to appear at Gloucester Magistrates Court on July 18 2008.

As he failed to turn up, the magistrates heard the cases in his absence and he was found guilty of both offences. Mr Forgione was also found guilty and convicted of a similar offence, again in his absence, earlier this year.

According to the 1992 “Control of Dogs Order” and the 1981 “Animal Health Act” all dogs must wear a collar and display a tag with their owner’s name and address when they are in public. The maximum fine for flouting the law is £5,000.

Darren Jamieson