The Docking of Working Dogs’ Tails (Certification and Identification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

Certification requirements

3.—(1) A veterinary surgeon may certify that he or she has seen evidence that a dog is likely to be used for a specified type of work and is a dog of a specified type, where—

(a) the veterinary surgeon is satisfied that the dam of the dog is of one or more of the breeds specified in Schedule 1 to the Act;

(b) the veterinary surgeon reasonably believes that the dog is not more than 5 days old; and

(c) the owner of the dog, or another person whom the veterinary surgeon reasonably believes to be representing the owner, has shown the evidence specified in paragraph (2).

(2) The evidence is—

(a) the dam of the dog or veterinary certification that the dam has died since whelping;

(b) a completed statement, signed and dated by the owner of the dog or by another person whom the veterinary surgeon to whom it is presented reasonably believes to be representing the owner, made in paragraph 1 of a certificate in the form prescribed in the Schedule; and

(c) one of the following—

(i) where the dog is presented for certification on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, police identification;

(ii) where the dog is presented for certification on behalf of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, prison service identification;

(iii) where the dog is presented for certification on behalf of Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, HMRC identification;

(iv) evidence that the owner of the dog, or an agent or employee of the owner most likely to be using the dog, will be using the dog for work in connection with lawful pest control;

(v) a current firearm certificate issued to the owner of the dog, or to the agent or employee of the owner most likely to be using the dog for work in connection with the lawful shooting of animals; or

(vi) a letter from—

(aa) a gamekeeper;

(bb) a land-occupier (or a land-occupier’s agent);

(cc) a person with shooting rights;

(dd) a shoot organiser;

(ee) a club official; or

(ff) a person engaged in lawful pest control,

stating that the breeder of the dog whose tail is to be docked is known to him or her and that dogs bred by that breeder have been used on his or her land, or in his or her shoot, or for pest control.

(3) Any certification under paragraph (1) shall be made in paragraph 2 of a certificate in the form prescribed in the Schedule.