New dog control Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) come into effect across Birmingham today (20 October 2017), with increased fines for dog owners who fail to control or pick up after their pets.
In March 2014, five Dog Control Orders came into effect across the city, which were effective tools in dealing with the minority of dog owners who fail to keep their pets under control.
However, due to a changes imposed by the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, these orders ceased to be with effect from 20 October 2017 and have been replaced by PSPOs – with fines for offences increased from £80 to £100.
This move follows public consultation over the summer (26 June to 7 August 2017), and approval by Licensing and Public Protection Committee last month (13 September 2017).
Birmingham City Council receives thousands of complaints about dog control issues: In 2016 officers received 3,115 complaints ranging from stray or aggressive dogs to owners not clearing up after their pets, resulting in 528 warning letters and 27 fixed penalty notices being issued by our dog wardens.
Cllr Barbara Dring, Chair of the city council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee, said: “The introduction of dog control orders has enabled us to successfully prosecute irresponsible dog owners for not controlling their pets or picking up their mess.
“However we still receive high numbers of complaints about dogs, particularly around dog fouling, which why is the fine has been increased from £80 to £100 – the message is simple, pick up or pay up.”
The five orders currently in place make it an offence for a dog owner or anyone in charge of a dog to:
- Not remove their dog’s waste
- Not keep their dogs on a lead on roads, footways and adjoining verges
- Allow their dog into clearly demarcated children’s play areas or school land
- Not place their dogs on a lead when asked to by an authorised officer
- Take more than four dogs at a time onto any public land.
Failure to respond to a fixed penalty notice can result in prosecution. There will be exceptions for assistance dogs.
For more information, please visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/dogcontrol
