Closed petition Introduce Domestic Animal Licenses & Owner Education

Closed on 22 August 2012

Owners of domestic animals; small pets, horses, donkeys, exotic animals et cetera should be required to pay for an annual license to keep them. Additionally, all owners should be required to attend an educational course in how to best care for and meet their animal's needs. This course should be presented as an "introduction" (for the first time attending) and then a "refresher and advanced" for subsequent times attending; the owner should be required to attend every 2 years.
Each owner is required to pay a fee to attend the courses to cover costs. Licences and education are mandatory. Without up to date licenses or certificates of competence, owners forfit their priviledge to own a domestic animal.
This measure should help develop further responsible animal ownership, reduce "back street" breeding of dogs, improve animal welfare and reduce the strain placed on shelters and animal charities.