Public opinion split over mandatory pet licenses, data reveals

Communities around the world are divided over whether pet ownership should come with stricter requirements, such as licenses. 

While supporters argue that licenses may help promote responsible ownership and improve animal welfare, critics have raised eyebrows about their effectiveness and the added costs they impose on families.

UK

Attitudes toward owning dogs in the UK are changing, with most saying dog ownership should require a license. According to the online research and data analytics group YouGov UK, more than half (54%) of the population in the UK supports a full reintroduction of dog licenses.

They believe a license should be required to own any dog breed, while a further 31% say it should apply only to certain breeds. Notably, only 8% of the public think a license should not be required to own a dog of any breed as a pet.

Even among dog owners, nearly half (45%) support a blanket dog license, while 38% favor breed-specific licenses.

Before 1988, such licenses were required in England, Scotland and Wales, and they remain in place in Northern Ireland at a cost of £12.50 a year.

The survey also found that younger citizens are significantly less supportive of a blanket license, with just 22% of those ages 18 to 24 and 46% of those ages 25 to 49 in favor, compared with 65% of those ages 50 to 64 and 72% of those ages 65 and older.

Younger people in the UK are more likely than those 65 and older to support alternatives to a universal license. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, 45% favor licensing only certain breeds, compared with 21% of seniors. Another 15% of the youngest group oppose licenses altogether, versus 4% of those over 65.

Perception of dog breeds

YouGov UK’s survey showed that more than 6 in 10 (64%) of the public believe some dog breeds are inherently more dangerous than others, while 31% say all breeds are equally capable of being dangerous.

Particularly for American XL bully dogs, only 5% of respondents say no license should be required to own them. A slim majority, 53%, believe the breed should be totally banned. Meanwhile, another 38%, including half of dog owners, say ownership should be allowed, but only with a license.

However, older population is far more likely to support a complete ban on owning XL bullies, with 77% of those 65 and older in favor, compared with 28% of 18-24-year-olds. Support for a total ban is also higher among men than women, at 58% and 48% respectively.

“Ever since a surge in their numbers during the Covid lockdown, American XL bullies have been the cause of a disproportionate number of fatal dog attacks in the UK, including six of the ten such attacks in 2022,” says Dylan Difford, Junior Data Journalist at YouGov UK.

“In December 2023, they became the first breed of dog added to the Dangerous Dogs Act since it became law in 1991, meaning owners in England and Wales now require a Certificate of Exemption in order to keep their XL bullies,” adds Difford.

For other breeds, such as Labradors or Corgis, 44% of the public say no license is necessary, while 49% to 51% believe a license should still be required. Only 1% to 2% say these breeds should not be allowed as pets at all.

Interestingly, the public views XL bullies as less suitable pets than snakes or tarantulas, with only 30% to 33% of respondents saying those animals should be completely banned.

“XL bullies are not quite in the category of alligators or big cats, both of which 89% of Brits believe should not be permitted as pets at all. Eight in ten (80%) additionally say that primates should not be able to be owned as pets,” he says.

Other animals as pets

Although the reason is unlikely to be concerns about threats to humans, 62% of Brits say hedgehogs should not be allowed as pets. 

Nearly eight in 10 (78%) believe foxes should be left in the wild, while two-thirds (66%) say keeping horses as pets should require a license. A majority (53%) also supports licensing for snake ownership.

Among the animals polled, pigs (43%) and tarantulas (39%) received the most support for licensing, while views on parrots are evenly divided: 40% say ownership should require a license and 41% say it should not. 

Among rabbits, 77% say a license is unnecessary, a sentiment shared by 77% to 79% of respondents regarding fish and hamsters. Nearly two-thirds (64%) say cat ownership should not require a license, though about a third (32%) say it should. 

In addition, around half (49% to 53%) believe licenses are not needed for chickens or tortoises, compared with about a third (33% to 34%) who say they are.

North America

In Mexico City, nearly 300,000 dogs and cats are now registered in the government’s Single Registry of Companion Animals (RUAC) as of June. In recent months, more than 10,000 owners have registered. The RUAC, created in 2017, aims to provide guarantees and protection for companion animals in cases of abandonment. 

It also allows the government to have an exact figure of how many pets are in the city and to create campaigns to promote animal welfare. The registration of pets is now mandatory in Mexico City.

In the American city of Sacramento (California), cats and dogs are required to be licensed to contact owners if their pet gets lost without a microchip or collar. It costs $15, $10 for seniors, and $50 for dogs that aren’t spayed or neutered. For late renewals, pet owners must pay a $25 fee.

The State of California has a three-day legal timeframe for shelters to hold a lost pet before it can be put up for adoption. If the pet has a license or a microchip, that period is extended by 14 days to give owners more time to be contacted and reclaim their animal.

India

In the city of Howrah, India, dog licenses for foreign- and mixed-breed pets became mandatory starting in September.

The Howrah Municipal Corporation launched a mandatory licensing system to improve regulation of pet ownership, strengthen public health measures, and curb the spread of diseases across the city, particularly rabies.

The licensing rule requires each dog to have a current anti-rabies vaccination certificate, as rabies remains a serious threat to both humans and animals. The annual license fee is ₹150 ($1.80/€1.65) and must be renewed each year.