Dog issues in Devon

Owners could be fined £100 if they don't follow these rules...

A public space protection order across Devon to help deal with the dog mess problem is being recommended to be introduced by Teignbridge District Council’s Executive committee next Tuesday.

The new order would enable officers to fine offenders £100 if they breach the eight controls, which also include owners letting their dog be in a banned area, if the dog is not on a lead on a highway, while new controls restricting the number of dogs that can be walked at any one time will be introduced.

The proposed PSPO would contain eight controls. They are:

Fouling – making it an offence if a person in charge of a dog fails to pick up its faeces straight away.

Means to pick up – making it an offence if a person in charge of a dog does not carry a bag or other means of clearing up after their dog at all times.

Dog Exclusion Area (expect beaches) - making it an offence for a person in charge of a dog, to let a dog be in dog ban area (e.g. Children’s play park).

Seasonal exclusion god areas (beaches) – an offence for a person in charge of a dog, between May 1 and September 30, or April 1 and September 30, in Dawlish Warren, to take the dog onto, or permit the dog to enter or to remain on, any beach designated as a dog ban area. The beaches are Dawlish Warren, Dawlish Town, Dawlish Coryton Cove, Holcombe, Teignmouth Town, Shaldon and The Ness.

Dogs on lead areas – an offence if a person in charge of a dog at any time does not keep the dog on a lead on land designated as a dog on lead area.

Dogs on lead on highway – an offence if, at any time, a person in charge of a dog does not keep the dog on a lead, whilst on a road or footpaths adjacent to a road.

Dogs oiled by direction – an offence if at any time within a dog ban area, a person in charge of a dog does not comply with a direction given to him by an authorised officer of the council or police officer to put and keep the dog on a lead.

Restriction of the number of dogs – restrict the number of dogs that can be walked by a single individual on or off the lead

The PSPO follows a public consultation that took place last year and a call made the previous year by Cllr Chris Clarance to ban all dogs from all playing fields when the council was discussing a review of the Teignbridge dog-fouling policy.

More than 2,000 people took part in the consultation with 1,179 specific comments made, with the majority of respondents supporting the controls, a report to the executive reveals.