We call on the government to mandate a dog licence. Prospective dog owners must be stopped from impulse-buying. The re-introduction of a licence would put strict controls on the age of the dog owner and require a theoretical test, like a driving test. The in-person test would cover dog behaviour, training, feeding, basic care and civic duty.

The test could be offered by local councils and taken in town halls. The addition of one dog welfare officer per council would be funded through the annual licence fee. 

Much like in driving, once dog owners were issued with a licence, they would risk getting points if their dog became out of control or aggressive. Linking in with the recommendations worked out by Middlesex University, dog owners would require to attend the equivalent of speed-awareness training to brush up on their knowledge. But an accumulation of points might lead to the loss of their licence, in which case the dog would be signed over to a charity.