The Docking of Working Dogs’ Tails (England) Regulations 2007

Certification requirements

3.—(1) A veterinary surgeon may certify that he has seen evidence that a dog is likely to be used for a specified type of work and is a dog of a specified type, where—

(a)he is satisfied that the dam of the dog is of one or more of the types specified in Schedule 1;

(b)he reasonably believes that the dog is not more than 5 days old; and

(c)the owner of the dog, or another person whom he reasonably believes to be representing the owner, has shown him the evidence specified in paragraph (2).

(2) The evidence is—

(a)the dam of the dog;

(b)a completed statement, signed and dated by the owner of the dog or by another person whom the veterinary surgeon to whom it is presented reasonably believes to be representing the owner, made in paragraph 3 of a certificate in the form prescribed in Schedule 2; and

(c)one of the following—

(i)where the dog is presented for certification on behalf of one of Her Majesty’s armed forces, armed forces identification;

(ii)where the dog is presented for certification on behalf of a body providing an emergency rescue service, emergency rescue identification;

(iii)where the dog is presented for certification on behalf of a police authority, police identification;

(iv)where the dog is presented for certification on behalf of Her Majesty’s Prison Service or of an organisation contracted to provide custodial services on behalf of the Secretary of State, prison service identification;

(v)where the dog is presented for certification on behalf of Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, HMRC identification;

(vi)evidence that the owner of the dog, or an agent or employee of the owner most likely to be using the dog, will be using the dog for work in connection with lawful pest control;

(vii)a current shotgun or firearm certificate issued to the owner of the dog, or to the agent or employee of the owner most likely to be using the dog for work in connection with the lawful shooting of animals;

(viii)a letter from a gamekeeper, a land-occupier (or his agent), a person with shooting rights, a shoot organiser, a club official, a person representing the National Working Terrier Federation, or a person engaged in lawful pest control, stating that the breeder of the dog whose tail is to be docked is known to him and that dogs bred by that breeder have been used (as the case may be) on his land, or in his shoot, or for pest control.

(3) Any certification given under paragraph (1) shall be made in paragraph 1 of a certificate in the form prescribed in Schedule 2.