New Rules in the Pipeline for Dog Owners 

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Council unveils proposals for a new set of rules for dog owners in the borough

The town hall is planning to introduce new dog control orders, in a bid to ensure that problems with irresponsible dog ownership can be tackled swiftly and effectively. 

If the orders are introduced it would mean:

• Parts of the borough, including playgrounds and some small parks, could be designated as dog ban areas. Anyone who allowed a dog to enter these areas could be prosecuted.

• Anyone who failed to clear up after their dog would be guilty of an offence. This rule would apply across the entire borough, not just in parks and on housing estates where there are already existing 'poop-scoop' byelaws. It would mean that owners would not be able to let their dogs foul in the gutter or the road surface without removing it. Under existing laws, owners who let their dogs foul pavements or footpaths are already committing an offence.

• All dogs would have to be kept on a lead whilst being walked on any public footpath or highway in the borough. Anyone who did not use a lead on a public highway could face legal action.

• There would be a new requirement for a dog to be put on a lead at the direction of an authorised officer. If the person in charge of the dog failed to comply when directed they would be committing an offence. 

• There would also be a new rule restricting the number of dogs that could be walked at any one time by a single person. No-one would be allowed to exercise more than four dogs at once on any public footpath or highway in the borough. The council's existing licence scheme for multiple dog walkers, which applies to large parks and open spaces, would still operate. This licence, aimed mainly at professional dog walkers, specifies the parks they can use and restricts their activities to certain times of the day.

 

The council's environment spokesman Cllr Malcolm Grimston said:
"We are currently conducting a public consultation on whether or not we should introduce these new rules. It is important now that people let us know what they think.  What is beyond doubt however is the increasing public concern about the irresponsible behaviour of some dog owners.

"Chief among these concerns is the fact that some owners do not exercise proper control on their dogs. This has led to a number of incidents where people and other dogs have been attacked and injured by dogs that have been frankly allowed to run wild.

"The new rules would mean that dogs could not be walked on a public highway without being kept on a lead. It would also mean that in other places like parks and commons, owners could be required to put their dog on a lead if an officer felt there was any risk to the public or other people's pets. 

"And this council, like almost every other one up and down the country, receives numerous complaints about dog mess. Some owners seem to think it is perfectly okay to leave dog faeces on pavements and footpaths, and even outside the entrances to some local schools and nurseries.

"These new rules would simplify matters by ensuring that all owners, no matter where they are in Wandsworth, would have to clear away the mess. If they failed to do so they would be committing an offence and would almost certainly be taken to court.

"And another rule could mean that some parts of the borough could be designated as no-go areas for dogs. This would mainly apply to small parks and result in these areas becoming much more child and family friendly."

For more information about dog control orders, including precise details and maps of where the new rules would apply, visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/dogcons.

The consultation runs until Friday, May 8. People can register their views by emailing dogcontrol@wandsworth.gov.uk or by writing to Jack Adam, The Staff Yard, Battersea Park, London SW11 4NJ.

For more information about dog control orders, the borough's dog control unit and ways in which the council is working to promote responsible ownership, visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/dogs.