Disqualification of Owners

   25. Disqualification of owners---(1) Where any person is convicted of
 any offence (not being an infringement offence) against this Act or any
 offence against section 3 or section 4 of the Animals Protection Act
 1960 in respect of a dog or any offence against section 26ZZP of the
 Conservation Act 1987 or section 56I of the National Parks Act 1980 and
 that person was, at the date on which that offence occurred, a
 probationary owner under this Act, the territorial authority may
 disqualify that person from being the owner of any dog.

   (2) Where any person commits 2 infringement offences, and that person
 was, on the date or dates on which those offences occurred, a
 probationary owner under this Act, the territorial authority may
 disqualify that person from being the owner of any dog.

   (3) For the purposes of subsection (2) of this section, a person shall
 be deemed to have committed an infringement offence if---
   (a) That person has been ordered to pay a fine and costs under section
         78A (1) of the Summary Proceedings Act 1957, or is deemed to
         have been so ordered under section 21 (5) of that Act, in
         respect of that offence; or
   (b) The infringement fee specified on an infringement notice in
         respect of that offence and issued to that person under section
         66 of this Act has been paid.

   (4) Disqualification under this section shall continue until a date
 specified by the territorial authority, which date shall not be later
 than 5 years after the date of the offence or, as the case may be, the
 second infringement offence in respect of which the person is
 disqualified.

   (5) Where any person is disqualified under subsection (1) of this
 section, the territorial authority shall as soon as practicable give
 written notice in the prescribed form to that person of that decision.