Responsible Dog Ownership

Dog Control Orders

Thank you to everyone who responded to our consultation last July on tackling irresponsible dog owners. We had over 1700 replies from non-dog owners and dog owners alike. There was overwhelming support for the introduction of new dog control orders with many additional suggestions about where they should apply.

What You Said Then

• Over 99% of you agreed that dog owners should clean up after their dogs in any public place.
• Over 97% of you agreed that authorised staff should be able to instruct dog owners to put their dogs on a lead in any public place.
• 95% of you agreed that children’s play areas and other games and sports areas should be dog free. In addition you told us that you wanted existing dog-free areas especially ornamental squares - to stay dog free.

What We Have Been Doing Since July 2008

The three Dog Control Orders that we asked you to consider during the consultation have applied throughout the borough since 14th July 2008:

• Failing to remove dog fouling in any public  space
• Not putting and keeping a dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer in any public space areas
• Permitting a dog to enter land from which dogs are excluded which applies to specific areas only.

Since then we have undertaken a campaign of providing education and advice regarding responsible dog ownership - we’ve handed out hundreds of leaflets and "dog poo bags" in our parks, open spaces and on the street. There are now prominent signs on all the borough's litterbins and in and around parks and Islington estates highlighting the law and penalties. Anyone can now call Contact Islington and report dog control issues, details are then passed on to the relevant officers to help us target our resources.

Trained officers carry out high-visibility patrols, observe situations and approach any dog owner they see breaking the law.  Since January 2009 they have been issuing fixed penalty notices of £80.00 to anyone they 'catch' committing an offence. Officers patrol in areas where they have intelligence or information that this anti social behaviour is occurring. We do not use video surveillance and rely on officers to take immediate direct action should they observe offences during these routine patrols.

While the vast majority of dog owners have a responsible attitude and have never broken the new Dog Control Orders, there’s still a hardcore of a few dog owners whose anti social behaviour and irresponsible action cause concern to the many law abiding residents.  They give all dog owners a bad name, which is clearly not fair.

Our emphasis will continue to be on education, prevention and responsible dog ownership. However, we are getting tough and we will continue to issue fixed penalty notices and even prosecute offenders as a last resort, as sometimes this is the only way we will change some people’s unacceptable behaviour.

For More Information

All dog exclusion areas are signed and you can check which areas are dog free by checking the attachment below for information.The Interactive Maps, accessible from the link on this page allows you to access a visual display of the exclusion areas as they apply in the borough.

Please use the links to view more information about the dog control orders and for advice on looking after your dog.

Also you can help us to identify irresponsible dog owners by reporting problems in your area to Contact Islington on 0207 527 2000.