UK dog owners face fines of up to £500 for poor behaviour in public spaces under new rules
The UK government is aiming to clamp down on a range of anti-social behaviours as part of a series of changes to the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, including dog owners who fail to take proper care in public space.
Responding in a recent written parliamentary Q&A, Labour MP Dame Diana was asked what steps the government was taking to enforce Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) requiring dogs to be kept on leads in public parks, and reduce dog-related incidents in shared green spaces.
Johnson noted that the current Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police and local authorities with a range of flexible tools and powers, including Public Spaces Protection Orders, that they can use to tackle dog-related incidents in public spaces.
She added that appropriate use of the powers is a local decision for local authorities, police and other agencies and that the Home Office regularly engages with police and local authority partners to discuss the effectiveness of the legislation.
“We are making changes to some of the powers in the 2014 Act via the Crime and Policing Bill to ensure the powers – based on engagement with police and local authorities – are as effective as possible.
“These changes include increasing the upper limit for a fixed penalty notice for breach of a Public Spaces Protection Order from £100 to £500 to act as a stronger deterrent to anti-social behaviour, including dog-related incidents in public spaces.”
