Calls to reverse "unenforceable" Sark dog law

Thursday 28 March 2024

A longstanding law making it illegal to own an unspayed dog in Sark could be reversed after concerns that it is too "onerous" on pet owners – and "effectively unenforceable" anyway.

Sark's Agriculture, Environment and Sea Fisheries Committee will ask Chief Pleas – the name of the island's government – to repeal Section 1 of the Control of Dogs (Sark) Ordinance which restricts the importation and keeping of a unspayed dog on the island.

Introduced in 1970, the law was put in place to control dogs and protect livestock.

The Agriculture, Environment and Sea Fisheries Committee explained: "Life on Sark has since moved on from a time when dogs were kept as working animals, to them now being kept more as pets.

"The restriction on unspayed dogs has become onerous on the pet owner, while the actual legislation has proven to be effectively unenforceable."

The Committee is arguing that that the law is "no longer applicable on Sark and should be repealed".

It suggests that "any puppies arising from ‘accidents’ would be the responsibility of the dog owners, as would preventing such ‘accidents’ happening in the first place".

The bailiwick's States Vet, David Chamberlain, is also supporting the call for Section 1 of the Ordinance to be repealed.

The Chief Pleas – Sark's parliament – has directed the Agriculture, Environment and Sea Fisheries Committee to instruct the Law Officers of the Crown to prepare an amendment to the law.

The topic will be debated at the Easter meeting of the Chief Pleas on 10 April 2024.

The full proposition can be found online.