Dog owners who switch from walking their dogs with a collar to a harness could be breaking the law, without even realising it.
Failure to have your contact details on a dog’s tag when in public is actually against the law
The Control of Dogs Order 1992 law says that a dog must wear a collar with the owner’s name and address on it.
Anyone breaching this could be guilty of an offence under the Animal Health Act 1981 which is “punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale”.
What if the dog is chipped? I’ve met many dogs at our dog park that don’t have any name or number on their tag just the tag with the code that will look up their chip in the system. Obviously this only works for dogs that are chipped but here in San Diego all dogs have to be registered and chipped.
@Kelly Good point!
My auntie recently checked this in the UK with her vet office (she is looking after my cousin’s dogs now and it only wears a harness) and even if they are chipped they still need to wear a tag with the owner’s details when in public. I guess as you mentioned not all dogs in the UK are chipped and they do not need to be registered with the local government as in the USA.
I know where I am in NJ we have to register a dog with our town and the rabies vaccinations, but in the UK there are no registration or rabies jabs.
Consider the possibility that the canine is chipped. I’ve met many canines at our canine park that have no name or number on their label simply the tag with the code that will look into their chip in the framework.