Dear Rachel
By all accounts things aren’t going completely to plan at the moment but I think you’re missing a trick. Dogs, millions of them, and they’re getting off Scot free. You’re probably not old enough to remember but in the 50s and 60s dogs had to be licensed. This ceased, I think, because the cost of collecting the fee – 7/6 in old money – was more than the fee. Now though dogs have to be chipped which should make the collection easier – perhaps you could get vets to collect it and give them a commission for doing it. If you were to set the licence fee initially at 50p/day (£26/annum) you could raise millions and in a year or two’s time you might consider increasing it further.
You will have to justify it (as dog owners are certain to raise a stink). Currently councils are collecting and disposing of tons of dog poo. They need a grant to pay for what currently they do for free.
I have to confess, Rachel, that I’m not a dog owner myself and I see so many dogs when I go out walking and think of how much they all contribute to global warming – with the food they consume, the extras owners purchase for them – dog baskets, cages, toys, collars, leads and of course extra large cars. If this licence puts some people off owning one, two or several dogs the dog population with come down helping Labour’s green campaign. Another good reason for setting this plan in motion.
Good luck with it.
Yours etc
Bill Andrews