17/06/2010 Fines of £75 to be imposed on errant owners

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Long leads, longer than 6ft 5ins, are being banned from parks in the Greater Manchester area. The long leads are thought to leave dog owners oblivious to their pet’s fouling the public spaces and are considered to be the reason why dog mess is not being cleaned up by neglectful owners.

Council bosses argue that dog owners are less likely to miss dog mess if their pets are kept on far shorter leads. The dog control order is said to be amongst the first such orders outside the London area and affects roughly 30,000 dog owners in the Tameside Council area in Ashton-under-Lyne. The Kennel Club has voiced its concerns over the new rule.

Spokesman Caroline Kisko said “Unfortunately, more and more councils are introducing dog control orders which penalise the majority of responsible dog owners. “We are especially disappointed at Tameside Council’s stance on restricting lead length. Bringing in an order which states to ‘keep the dog on a lead of not more than two metres in length’ seems completely arbitrary and unnecessary. We believe that it will be ineffective and extremely arbitrary and unnecessary.

This has come hot on the heels of Newark and Sherwood Council in Nottinghamshire banning dogs from its 72 parks and imposing on the spot fines of £75 for any one flouting the rules.

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