Huntingdonshire District Council has agreed to extend the current Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for Dog Control in Huntingdonshire for a period of three years.
This PSPO makes conditions clearer and includes measures to tackle out of control dogs. The conditions are to challenge the behaviours of irresponsible dog owners or those in charge, which includes protecting public spaces from dogs which damage or destroy other animals, cause people alarm and/or distress, and from people responsible for dogs that repeatedly stray.
During August, residents were given the opportunity to take part in a consultation process on whether the existing measures should be extended to continue to ensure dogs are kept under control in public areas. The public response was once again overwhelmingly in favour of the measures – with 95% of respondents agreeing with each of the elements of the Dog Control PSPOs and that they should be continued over the next 3 years.
The PSPO will see the following rules continue to be enforced:
- The PSPO applies to the whole of Huntingdonshire, with general conditions covering the whole District and additional conditions to apply only in specified locations;
- The conditions of the PSPO will not apply to guide dogs or assistance dogs, within defined criteria;
- A District-wide condition requiring dog faeces to be picked up and taken away or disposed of in a suitable bin;
- A District-wide condition requiring persons in control of dogs to be required to carry a suitable receptacle for picking up and disposing of dog faeces, and to demonstrate this on request by an authorised officer;
- A District-wide condition requiring dogs to be placed on a lead upon request by any authorised officer;
- A condition requiring dogs to be kept on a lead at all times in specified locations – no change is proposed to the specified locations; and
- A condition stating that dogs are not allowed in specified locations – no change is proposed to the specified locations.
And the new approved conditions include:
- A condition requiring a person responsible for the dog(s) to ensure the dog(s) are not out of control or damaging or destroying another animal.
- That the person responsible for the dog(s) are not allowing the dog(s) in their charge to cause alarm and/or distress
- The order will also introduce the conditions to allow action against a person responsible for dog(s) that repeatedly stray.
- Change to the condition; requiring dogs to be kept on a lead; HDC have removed the requirement for the lead length to be 1.5 meters.
Find out where you currently can and can’t walk your dog in Huntingdonshire at Dog Exclusion Zones – Huntingdonshire.gov.uk
View the full Public Space Protection Order for Dog Control here: Public Space Protection Order (Dog Control) 2023 (huntingdonshire.gov.uk)