1906.] 



The Dogs Act, 1905 



501 



during all or any of the hours between sunset and sunrise : 

 and 



{c) for authorising a Local Authority to make Regulations 

 for either of these purposes. 

 The Orders and Regulations will take effect under the 

 Diseases of Animals Act, 1894, and the Orders may provide 

 that any dog in respect of which an offence is being committed 

 against the Orders may be seized and treated as a stray dog. 



3. At the present time the wearing of collars by dogs is in 

 effect enforced in London and several other districts by means 

 of Regulations made under the Rabies Order of 1895, which 

 exempts dogs wearing collars from the requirement of muzzling. 

 In view of the provisions of the new Act, the Board have made 

 an Order entitled the Dogs Order of 1906, of which copies are 

 enclosed, the effect of which is to revoke all existing muzzling 

 regulations as from the ist January next, and to enable Local 

 Authorities to make regulations directly requiring the wearing 

 of collars by dogs while in a highway or place of public resort. 

 The regulations will not apply to packs of hounds, or to any 

 dog while being used for sporting purposes, or for the capture 

 or destruction of vermin, or for the driving or tending ot cattle 

 or sheep. The Local Authorities are empowered to regulate, 

 as well as prescribe, the wearing of collars, and will thus be in a 

 position to extend the exemptions if they think fit. The Order 

 will not come into operation until the ist January next, but 

 under the Interpretation Act, 1889 (Sec. 37), it is competent 

 for your Local Authority to proceed at once to make regulations 

 to take effect on or after that date. 



4. The Board have not in their Order authorised Local 

 Authorities to make regulations for preventing dogs from 

 straying between sunset and sunrise, inasmuch as they think 

 that the most convenient method will be for each Local Au- 

 thority in Great Britain to consider what action is in their 

 opinion necessary as regards their district, and then to state to 

 the Board whether the circumstances render it desirable that 

 these powers should be put in force in their district, or any part 

 of it, and whether the restrictions should be in force throughout 

 the year or during a part of the year only. 



5. Your Local Authority will note the powers entrusted to 

 the police under Section 3 of the new Act, as to the seizure of 



