Mixed views among Wolverhampton's dog owners on new rules for leads, dog mess and water features

People in Wolverhampton are being asked to give their views on proposed changes to the city council’s rules and conditions regarding taking dogs to public spaces such as parks and cemeteries.

The local authority plans to make some amendments to its current dog control Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which is to be renewed during 2023 with a planned implementation date of October 1.

Among the changes being taken to public consultation include dogs being required to be kept on leads on cemeteries and not allowed in water features or facilities in authority-controlled and maintained areas such as parks and open spaces, town centres, nature reserves and country parks.

Anyone in charge of a dog on public land will be guilty of an offence if they are unable to produce suitable and unused means of removing dog faeces from the ground when asked to do so by an authorised officer. The receptacle/bags must also be disposable.

At East Park in Wolverhampton, there were plenty of people out giving their pets some exercise across the 1.2 miles of the park.

The news of the proposed plans provoked a mixture of views, with some thoughts turning to what would happen if there became a legal requirement for dogs to be on leads in parks as well as cemeteries.

Michael Pedley was out with his wife Annette and their four-year-old Sproodle Bailey and the 71-year-old said there needed to be some basic rules for keeping control of dogs.

He said: "You need to have some basic rules, and there is an unwritten rule that you should have your dog on a lead, but that gets stretched and we want him to have the full run of the park if he wants.

"I fully agree with the rules around water features as you've got children playing in them and other wildlife and a dog can contaminate that, so you just need a bit of common sense around it.

"I support a lot of it as you need to look at the health and safety of the area and we will put him on a lead if there is a situation that needs it, but I wouldn't put him on a lead all the time around the park."

Brian Rogers was out with his friend Martin Foxall to walk his neighbour's Staffordshire Bull Terrier Junior and Mr Foxall to walk his Bull Whippet Bella, and both men said they didn't like the idea of more lead laws.

Mr Rogers said: "I think that's no exercise for a dog if you've got them on a lead and while it's a good idea if your dog is aggressive, it's better exercise for a dog to be off the lead.

"In the consultation, I'd be inclined to say that you shouldn't have that as we, as dog owners, know our dogs and know how to let them have their exercise, which settles them down."

Mr Foxall said: "I think the idea is a little knee-jerk because of some of the attacks that have happened, but the law is that the dog should be under control at all times, not necessarily on the lead.

"I agree with the law around picking up dog mess as I don't want to stand in it and I don't want to see children falling in it, so that's what I would say in the consultation."

Wendy Green from East Park was out enjoying a lap of the park with her five-year-old Golden Retriever Spaniel Jake and said she agreed with the rules around dog mess, but was less keen on the plans around leads.

She said: "I don't like to see dog mess around and, like anyone else, I think people should be cleaning up after their dogs and I support the idea of prosecuting people if they don't clean it up.

"I wouldn't want to see a rule about people having to have their dogs on leads as I know that Jake wouldn't want to go on a lead all of the time.

"If the situation comes up that he needs to go on a lead because someone is scared of him, then that's fine and I'll take him to a different part of the park, but I don't think it needs to be all the time."

Members of the public have until April 21 to take part in the consultation, which can be found at http://bit.ly/3kmC119.