Monmouthshire County Council is considering tightening rules on where dogs can go across the county after a string of unsavoury incidents.
The council has opened a public consultation with a view to instilling a public space protection order (PSPO) against dogs.
It says the aim of the order will be to “stop unreasonable behaviour in public spaces by introducing restrictions on the use of an area”.
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Monmouthshire council isn’t the first council in south Wales to suggest action could be taken over dogs and their owners, mostly for dog fouling.
Last month Newport city council proposed stricter rules for dogs in parks, cemeteries and playing fields. It proposed dogs would be banned from children’s play areas and would have to be on a lead around sports pitches depending on the time of the year.
In June Caerphilly borough council also said it was consulting residents over banning dogs from pitches.
A PSPO would replace any current restriction in place, Monmouthshire council said.
Typical PSPO rules against dogs include owners having to keep dogs on leads near pitches, banning dogs from spaces where lots of people are likely to be, limiting the number of dogs an owner can have with them, and forcing owners to clean up after their dogs.
Those found to be in breach of a PSPO restriction are liable to a fine of up to £1,000. An authorised officer can issue a fixed penalty notice of up to £100 in order to give an offender the chance to avoid court.
Residents in Monmouthshire can inform the council what they think of the proposals by October 26.
A nine to 12 month timescale is anticipated to determine a PSPO on dog controls after the initial three month consultation.
The council said it recognises that the majority of dog owners act responsibly, but said it is the council’s intention to respond after a “significant number of complaints regarding issues with dogs in public areas, in particular fouling”.
“These continue despite the best efforts of the council and its partners to raise awareness of the anti-social nature of dog fouling and related matters,” the council adds.
A Monmouthshire county council spokesperson said: “The consultation will bring Monmouthshire county council in line with other local authorities who are using more up to date legislation to prevent dog ownership and fouling problems.
"The consultation aims to canvas opinion from the public, sports clubs, groups using green spaces, dog walkers, town and community councils and anyone else with an interest in using formal and informal council green space on what kind of restrictions (if any) they would like to see.
"There will be a follow up consultation on designating particular places or categories of sites for dog restrictions which might include dogs on leads or complete bans.”
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