Out of control dogs

If you own a pet you are responsible for its welfare and the welfare of others.  Did you know that it’s an offence for your dog to be off lead and out of control regardless of whether it’s aggressive or not?  It also doesn’t matter where that is, it could even be in your own home!  Other locations include a public place or private location such as a friend’s house.

So what constitutes a dangerously ‘out of control’ dog?  Well here are instances:

• if your dog injures someone
• if someone is worried it might hurt them, or someone else

You dog can also be dangerously out of control if:

• it attacks someone else’s animal
• the owner believes they may get hurt if they try to prevent your dog from hurting their animal

So what will happen if the court finds your dog to be ‘dangerously out of control’?

• you could get an unlimited fine
• you could go to prison for up to 6 months
• you could be fined and go to prison for up to 6 months
• you could be banned from owning a dog in the future
• your dog could be ordered to be destroyed

What happens if you allow your dog to physically attack someone?

• you could get a fine
• you could go to prison for up to 5 years
• you could be fined and go to prison for up to 5 years
• you could be charged with malicious wounding
• if you allow your dog to kill someone you can be sent to prison for up to 14 years, receive an unlimited fine, or both

So if you own a dog, you need to ensure it is under control and comes back to you when called. If it runs up to another dog barking, lunging, or generally in a provocative manner, it’s in yours, and your dog’s, interests to put it on a lead, especially if it doesn’t usually return to you when called.

Even if your dog is ‘friendly’ you cannot be certain that the other dog is friendly. In our experience smaller dogs tend to get away with a lot more from their owners as they don’t think they can do any damage. Well they can certainly start an escalation by their sheer tenacity. Smaller dogs could get seriously hurt, or worse.

What starts off as a dog running up to a strange dog could result in an altercation and injury to either dog, especially if one is smaller than the other. Larger dogs do a lot more damage. So if a person with a larger dog asks you to keep your dog under control, please listen, as they may be more concerned about your small dog getting hurt than their own dog. If their dog is on a lead it’s usually for a good reason. Not all dogs like other dogs to approach them. They could be reactive, much larger, or be over protective of their not so confident owners.

So we implore you to think and consider other dog walkers before letting your dog run riot.

If you think a dog is dangerous you can report it to your local council.

Dog fouling in public

We have a lot of issues in our town with people not picking up after their dogs. It’s not only disgusting, it’s a health hazard. There is just no excuse for you to allow your dog to poop and just walk off and leave it there, whether you’ve bagged it or not! There are plenty of bins around. Would you want dog poop outside your front door, or on your driveway or garden? Why people leave it strewn all over public paths and outdoor spaces where they live and walk is beyond comprehension. It’s sheer laziness and above all, it’s against UK dog law!

According to UK dog law you must pick up after your dog and dispose of it in a bin. Take the poop home with you if you cannot find a bin on your walk. Buy a poop scoop which can house the poo bag until you can find a bin. If you fail to do this you’re not only being extremely selfish and unsociable, but you’re also breaking UK dog law.

If you see someone not picking up after their dog you can report them to your local council. Councils have the power to issue on the spot fines of between £50 to £80. You could end up with another fine of £1000 if it goes to court.

The effects of dog fouling.

Dogs are also banned from entering certain areas under a public space protection order. These include children’s playgrounds or some local parks. These are often in place to help prevent dog fouling in areas that children play or places open to the public. Toxocariasis can be transmitted through infected dog faeces. It is especially dangerous for children.

You could be fined up to £100 if you breach the rules. You could get a further £1000 fine if it goes to court due to non payment.

Unlike horse manure that acts like a fertilizer, dog poo does not. Due to its high nitrogen content it can actually kill plants around it.

Another couple of good reasons to pick up after your pooch, especially in rural areas, is that it can be detrimental to livestock.

Neosporosis – this is a disease that can cause abortions in cattle. Infected dog faeces is the culprit. At the moment there is no vaccine to prevent this disease. Dog faeces causes a high number of abortions in cattle.

Sarcocystosis – this can cause neurological disease and death in sheep. Infected dog faeces transmits to the sheep if ingested. It can be prevalent in areas where there is a large footfall of dog walkers. Dogs contract it by eating anything that contains the parasites and if they defecate in fields where sheep are grazing, the sheep can then ingest the dog’s faeces along with the parasites that cause the disease. There is also no vaccine for this disease.

Conclusion: PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG and KEEP YOUR DOG UNDER CONTROL it is UK Dog Law.