Dog owners could have say on playing field ban

The UK’s largest dog welfare organisation, The Kennel Club, has made the appeal in response to a public consultation on Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) from Caerphilly County Borough Council.

The new legislation would replace Dog Control Orders under the Anti-social, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and exclude anyone with dogs from certain areas whilst also requiring dogs to be kept on leads at all times.

Specific restrictions the council are consulting on include bans for dog walking on sporting and recreational fields, alongside gathering views on dog fouling in the area.

The Kennel Club believes that total bans for dogs in open public spaces must be “necessary and proportionate”, and only be used as a “last resort.”

Kennel Club secretary Caroline Kisko described the public consultation as the “perfect opportunity” for dog owners to get involved, so the council can make an informed and fair decision.

She said: “Aspects such as a ban on off-lead dog walking may not be welcomed by the many responsible dog owners in the area whose pets enjoy local public spaces without any issue."

“Dogs need a good deal of exercise, including off lead, so We would not want to see restrictions that have a negative effect on the amount of exercise responsible owners can give their pets.”

The PSPOs can also issue fines for anyone with a dog who cannot prove they have the means to pick up after their dog.

Ms Kisko added: “Some aspects of PSPOs, such as the requirement to pick up after a dog, are very sensible measures to help promote responsible dog ownership.

“But making it a legal requirement for a dog owner to provide evidence of their ‘means to pick up’ – when local authorities are already extremely under-resourced —is highly unlikely to have the effect that these local authorities are intending.”

For further details on the consultation, and to respond, visit: www.caerphilly.gov.uk/involved/Consultations/Dog-Control-consultation