Commoners

WEST DEVON BOROUGH COUNCIL DOG CONTROL ORDERS

West Devon Borough Council have introduced new dog control orders across the Borough. There are four Orders as follows:

1. DOG FOULING. It will be an offence for a person in charge of a dog who fails to remove any dog fouling. This applies on all land open to the air in the Borough, to which the public have access with or without payment. There is an exception on Forestry Commission land.
2. DOGS ON LEADS. Dogs will be required to be on a lead across the Borough in all car parks, near retail premises and in cemeteries, churchyards and war memorials. Leads will also be required in all fenced, hedged or walled ponds, areas of water or nature reserves, together with all marked sports fields whilst organised sport is in progress . Other locations have been listed on the Schedules by some Town and Parish Councils. On Open Access Land  (Dartmoor) across the Borough, dogs are required to be on short fixed leads (2 metres or less) as required under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, between 1st March and 31st July and at all times near livestock.
3. DOG EXCLUSIONS. Dogs will be banned from fenced, hedged, walled children’s play areas, bowling greens, tennis courts, skateboard/BMX parks and putting greens. Also dogs will be excluded from sporting or recreational facility pitches when sport is in play.  Other locations have been listed on the Schedules by some Town and Parish Council’s.
4. DOGS ON LEADS BY DIRECTION. Any officer authorised by SHDC (including certain external officers) can request a dog owner place their dog on a lead in any open public land, to prevent a nuisance or behaviour by the dog likely to cause annoyance or disturbance to any other person. This also applies to prevent the worrying or disturbance of any animal or bird.

Full details of these Orders can be found on the West Devon Borough Council website: http://www.westdevon.gov.uk/dogorder