When can you let your dog off the lead…?

WITH much confusion surrounding the rules and regulations which govern where dog owners are permitted to let their dog off the lead, we spoke with a Fermanagh and Omagh Council dog warden to get a clearer lay of this murky legal land.

Brenda Leonard is a dog warden with the council. She is responsible for capturing stray dogs, running the pound, patrolling public spaces, and administering fines to owners who commit offences.

“Until recently, dogs were not required by law to be kept on a lead,” began Brenda.

“But, although dogs are still permitted to be off the lead in some contexts, the Clean Neighbourhood Act 2011 has made it compulsory to have your dog on a lead in many public spaces.”

The laws introduced by the relevant legislation empowered dog wardens, like Brenda, to impose fines – among other punitive measures – if an owner fails to comply with the laws governing a particular area.

“For example,” said Brenda, “like many public spaces of a similar nature, in the Gortin Glens, it is illegal to have your dog off the lead at all, regardless of whether you as the owner appear to have it ‘under control’.”

In other places, all dogs are forbidden.

“Playparks almost universally fall under this category – so, for example, you cannot have a dog in the Grange Park,” Brenda said.

However, she admitted that there is a lack of visible signs in some areas, which makes it difficult for people to determine what sort of an area they are in.

“There should be clear sign wherever you go to make it obvious what rules apply in any given area.

“Unfortunately, this is not yet the case, however, as a council we have been making a concerted effort to install signs and stencils across the district to minimise this problem.”

But, as some people who have been threatened or attacked by dogs recently have been quick to point out, stronger deterrents could also play a part in reducing the number of owners who break the rules.

“We won’t always impose a fine on the spot,” said Brenda. “And usually we will request that the owner put their dog back on the lead before we take any formal action.

“If they fail to comply, then we are likely to issue a fixed penalty,” said Brenda.

However, there are other issues, as Brenda explained, which likely lay behind the current rise in incidents of uncontrolled dog nuisances.

“There were a lot of dogs purchased – sometimes without due forethought – during the pandemic, and, consequently, there are a lot of first time dog owners around at the minute – people who have little experience with dogs.

“Unfortunately, these people often struggle to control their dogs, and, also, many of these so-called ‘pandemic dogs’ have ended up in the pound, which has resulted in a lot of our resources being spent there instead of out on patrol.

“A combination of all these factors is responsible for any increase there has been in incidents of uncontrolled dogs,” concluded Brenda.