New safety measures for Wolverhampton dog owners
A public spaces order is introducing new rules on leads and the removal of faeces.
Dog owners in Wolverhampton are being alerted to a series of new local authority safety measures designed to ensure pets are kept under control and well-behaved in public places.
Council bosses have updated the city’s existing Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) based on views from a public consultation carried out earlier this year. The aim of the order is to make the city safer, cleaner and more comfortable for everyone.
The PSPO amendment, which comes into force later this month, will see three new safety measures added to the six existing ones:
- The order now requires anyone in control of a dog to carry a suitable means of removing dog faeces and provide their names and address when asked to do so by an authorised officer.
- Owners are not allowed to let their dogs into specified water spots such as Tettenhall Pool or the fountain in Queen Square. Dogs must also be kept on a lead in council-operated cemeteries.
The six existing measures that will continue are:
- Dogs are to be kept on a lead by major arterial roads of the city, when within a 100-metre radius of school or academy entrances and when within certain areas of Northycote Farm.
- Dogs are also prohibited from entering fenced children’s play areas and fenced tennis courts within the city, must be put on a lead at the request of any authorised officer who reasonably believes the dog to be a nuisance and owners must remove any faecal matter.
- Owners continue to be required to keep their dogs under control. This means making sure they are able to be recalled, do not run up to other dogs and do not cause nuisance to other walkers, dogs and their owners.
To help make sure residents are aware of the new measures and their responsibilities, officers from the council’s environmental services team have been handing out free dog waste bags and leaflets in the city’s parks during the summer and information signs have also been installed at key points around the city.
A 12-week public consultation carried out earlier this year showed public support for the PSPO, including around 90 per cent in favour of the new measures to control dogs in cemeteries and the new requirement to carry faeces removal bags.
Councillor Craig Collingswood (Lab. Park ward), the council’s cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: “Our previous PSPO was due to expire this autumn, so we carried out a public consultation earlier this year to gain residents’ views on an updated version. The results showed a significant level of support for the continuation of existing measures as well as backing for the new ones.
“We recognise that the vast majority of dog owners are very responsible and would not put others in danger. But the updated PSPO is being introduced to cover the small minority who are unwilling to put their pets on a lead in specified areas or clean up after them.
“We hope this will help reduce any potential stress and physical harm to people and other animals from dogs that are a nuisance or a danger. It will also help us preserve a clean and safe public environment.
“As part of the terms of the PSPO, we will continue to monitor and review its effectiveness and would encourage all dog owners to behave responsibly and follow the safety measures,” he added.
Anyone who does not comply with the order may face an on-the-spot fine of £80 and could face the possibility of being taken to court. The measures contained in the order do not apply to assistance dogs.
To find out more about the updated PSPO, including full details of all the new and existing measures, visit https://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/environment-and-climate/animal-issues/proposed-dog-control-pspo