The Department of the Environment reminds all dog owners that the deadline for the DNA fingerprinting of their dogs is the 31st March 2017. This can be done at either of the two veterinary clinics in Gibraltar.

The fingerprinting will enable enforcement officers to identify irresponsible dog owners when their dogs are not 'caught in the act’. The penalty for this offence is £400.

Owners need to renew their dog licenses as soon as the fingerprinting has been carried out. The deadline for the renewal of dog licences is also the 31st March 2017.

The Department reminds owners that dog licences will not be renewed without verification that the DNA fingerprint test has been conducted. The penalty for not renewing a dog licence is £1000.

The Department of the Environment therefore asks all dog owners to cooperate and by doing so help identify those irresponsible owners who give responsible owners a bad name.

These measures, increasingly adopted in other countries too, are aimed at stopping dog fouling on our streets and keeping our environment clean and healthy.