Dog orders approved

NEW orders to tackle dog fouling and the control of dogs in Carmarthenshire have been given the go ahead.

The orders have been introduced following a public consultation which showed strong support for the proposals.

They include cleaning up after your dog on all public land in the county, putting your dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer and excluding dogs from enclosed children’s play areas.

Failure to comply with the orders will result in a fixed penalty notice of £100, reduced to £50 if paid within 10 days.

The orders will come into force from July 1, however, until then officers will continue to enforce under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996.

The orders will be published on the council website and there will be an education and awareness campaign.

Signs advising the public of the orders will be placed in public areas and in the outdoor children’s play areas.

There are some exemptions to the orders, for example for assistance dogs and working dogs, and they will be reviewed after three years.

Director of Environment Ruth Mullen said: “There is a lot of support from the public for these orders. We believe they will help officers to deal with irresponsible dog owners quickly and efficiently. We also hope they will help to reduce the amount of dog mess in public areas, the health risks associated with it and encourage dog owners to behave responsibly.”

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) were created under the Anti-social, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to give local authorities greater flexibility in tackling irresponsible dog owners and incidents involving dogs.

Public consultation showed that 98% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with an order for owners to clean up after their dogs; 89% agreed or strongly agreed with an order to put dogs on leads if directed to do so and 87% agreed or strongly agreed with an order to exclude dogs from children’s play areas.