Licensing? No thanks

READERS FROM Northern Ireland are permitted a wry smile when they see the subject of this week’s Gundogs: dog licences.

The Government abolished the dog licence in England, Scotland and Wales in 1987, but it remains a legal requirement in Northern Ireland. There, dog owners are required to pay £12.50 annually per dog, though there are numerous exceptions. For example, if you’ve got three or more dogs, in certain circumstances you can apply for a £32 block licence, while if your dog has been sterilised, the fee