A Merseyside council has doled out almost £43,000 worth of fines over new dog rules and restrictions.
In July 2017, Sefton Council introduced new rules which added a range of limitations to dog walkers, including banning their pets from enclosed play areas and requiring them to be kept on leads in areas such as roads, footpaths, cemeteries and picnic areas.
The rules also ban dogs from entering marked sports pitches during certain time periods and limit the number that can be walked by one person.
Traffic light-style signs have been installed in parks and green spaces across the borough to let people know which areas are designated as either off-lead, on-lead or no-dog zones.
Failure to comply with the order can result in a Fixed Penalty Notice of £75 (this is reduced to £50 if paid within ten days).
Figures revealed in documents on the council’s website show a staggering 568 fines have been issued since the rules came in.
This equates to £42,600 in penalties.
Most of the fines (305) were issued for dogs being off leads on public roads and footways.
Sixty five were issued for dog fouling, and 92 were given for dogs entering sports pitches while they were in use.
A council report says complaints over dog fouling have reduced by more than half since the new rules came in.
Merseyside Police support the rules, with Superintendent Graeme Robson of Sefton Community Policing saying: “We recognise the impact that dogs can cause if they are not looked after responsibly.
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“Having some restrictions that can be publicised and enforced not only gives us the opportunity to take action against people who breach the order but also give the public some reassurance about what we are doing to protect them.”
Here are the laws that all dog owners in Sefton, or those visiting Sefton, must adhere to:
- Dog owners must pick up dog poo
- The maximum number of dogs that can be walked by one person is six
- Dogs cannot enter enclosed playgrounds
- Dogs cannot enter sports pitches during specified periods.(Football and rugby pitches September 1 to May 31, and cricket pitches
- from April 1 to September 30)
- Dogs must be kept on a lead within defined picnic sites and family areas
- Dogs must be kept on a lead within designated carriageways and adjoining footways and verges
- Dogs must be kept on a lead within all cemeteries and crematoria
- Dogs must be kept on a lead when directed by an authorised officer to prevent a nuisance or behaviour likely to cause annoyance or disturbance to the public
Where leads are mentioned, these must be no longer than 2 metres in length.
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