New penalties for dog owners who don't clean up after their pets

From September, dog owners in Bassetlaw will have to prove that they intend to clean up after their pet if challenged by enforcement officers by producing some form of poo bag, or face being issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £100 should they be unable to produce one.

Councillors approved a number of revised dog control orders, that deal with dog related anti-social behaviour, at the June meeting of Full Council, following a consultation that ran throughout March and April this year.

The orders will come into force on September 1.

Coun Julie Leigh, cabinet member for neighbourhoods said: “Over the last three years, the council has been able to use these powers to spell out in no uncertain terms what the council, residents and the law expects of responsible dog owners when exercising their pet.

“An overwhelming majority of people who completed the survey felt that these powers will help to reduce the amount of dog fouling in Bassetlaw, in addition to the new order which means that dog owners must carry poo bags when walking their dog.

“This approach has been successfully adopted by other local authorities in the UK and 82 per cent of people who completed our consultation thought that it was appropriate to introduce this new power.

“Bassetlaw residents are fed up of the amount of dog poo that is left on our streets and in our open spaces.

“The message is clear, pick up after your dog or face being fined or prosecuted.”

PSPOs last for a maximum period of three years and Bassetlaw’s original orders were introduced in 2015.

These powers require dog owners in Bassetlaw to pick up their dog’s faeces on any land to which the public have access, keep their dogs on leads in specified burial grounds, cemeteries and churchyards, keep their dogs from entering into specified fenced children’s play areas and a person in charge of a dog on any land open to the public must be able to demonstrate to an enforcement officer that they have a suitable bag in their possession for cleaning up dog faeces.

Under the current Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, an offence under the proposed Public Space Protection Order will be liable for a fine of up to £1,000 or a fixed penalty notice of £100.

For more information on thesePublic Space Protection Orders and other council services visitwww.bassetlaw.gov.uk.