ARMADALE KELMSCOTT ROAD BOARD DOG LICENSE MEDALLION / TAG

Municipal governments have played a role in the licensing of dogs in Western Australia since the 1870s. The Dog Act was designed to manage the culling of Dingoes and 'wild dogs' that were deemed a threat to livestock. In the 1880s there was a push for stronger regulations as abandoned dogs or dogs left to roam were causing problems with animals and gardens in towns. In the 1890s the act was amended to allow municipal governments to issue collars with registration tags for a fee to dog owners to prevent the police from destroying the dog if it was found roaming the streets or farm land unattended.
This dog tag was produced by the Armadale Kelmscott Road Board in 1952 and issued to dog owners who had licensed their dogs. It is one of a dog licence tags ranging between 1933 and 1986 in the museum collection.