Council launches on-line dog licensing scheme

Coleraine Borough Council hope that the new facility, available from November 1, will not only make it more convenient for licence holders to obtain and renew their dog licence but will make the administration and accounting of this work more efficient.

Dog wardens have also been provided with wireless laptops which allow licences to be processed on the doorstep and record checks regarding strays and complaints while dealing with the issue on-site.

This has now resulted in a marked decrease in the need for field officers to be in the office and enables a greater proportion of enquiries and complaints to be resolved immediately.

A Council spokesperson said: "Since the Dogs Order was introduced in 1983 the cost of a licence has remained at 5.

"In 1983 several hundred dogs were licensed, however the figure for 2009 was almost 7,000.

"Payment options have remained very basic up until two years ago when dog owners were given the opportunity to pay by credit or debit card, which has proven to be very popular.

"The trend however even in the last two years has been towards an increasing volume of business being conducted electronically thus opening the service up to an increasing proportion of ratepayers on a 24/7 basis."