Anne Marie speaks out against Labour's ‘Dog Tax’

Up to 16,500 Teignbridge households could be affected.

Prospective Conservative MP for Newton Abbot, Anne Marie Morris, has expressed her concern at plans by Gordon Brown’s Government to force all families across Teignbridge to pay a compulsory levy to own a dog. This would apply to all dogs – including poodles and Chihuahuas.

• The Government has announced a consultation which includes proposals to compel all dog owners to pay for compulsory third party insurance to be allowed to own their own dog. Families would face “penalties” – fines or criminal sanctions – for breaching this requirement.
• In practice, this ‘dog tax’ would not affect the owners of the most dangerous dogs as the Dangerous Dogs Act already bans the ownership and sale of fighting dogs like pit bull terriers. It is possible for dogs to be exempted from the ban, but owners must have their dogs neutered, muzzled and obtain third party insurance. Owners of dangerous dogs which are already illegal are unlikely to take out such insurance as they will just continue to defy the law.
• There are an estimated 16,494 homes across Teignbridge who would be required to pay a compulsory dog tax. Although some homes may already have pet insurance, the poorest homes will be hit the hardest by the new levy.

Anne Marie said: “We need tougher laws against the growing problem of dangerous dogs being used in acts of violence. But it is a sledgehammer to crack a nut to impose a dog tax on a poodle and, as a dog owner, I’m concerned.”

“As always, Gordon Brown sees tax as the solution to every problem – his approach to this Dog Tax is an approach that we will be stuck with if Labour get back in – something that will happen if people vote Lib Dem here.