The city council of Liverpool, in the United Kingdom, is considering a three-year ban to keep dogs out of over 70 public spaces, according to the BBC.
After a public consultation that took place in July, the proposed ban comes with large community support. Apparently, free-roaming dogs are in parks, cemeteries, and other public areas and are upsetting locals. Overwhelmingly, people involved with the consultation cited a need for “an increase in enforcement and enforcement officers.” Allegedly, all these dogs are causing trouble for locals.
New Ban Would Increase Restrictions
Currently, a large number of playgrounds, sports fields, and walled gardens already restrict dogs. Interestingly, the current rules come from a 1994 Control of Dogs Byelaw. However, the ban includes more legislation, as well as leash enforcement for certain areas.
According to the committee, “many respondents welcomed the use of dogs on lead by direction, citing incidents that involved unruly dogs jumping up, harassing other dogs, chasing livestock, frightening and physically attacking other users of the park, and even taking property from a disabled park user.”
Besides the ban, the proposal includes fining dog parents “on-the-spot” for rule violations. However, exceptions are being made for assistance dogs.
Curiously, the locations enforcing leashed dogs at all times include several public cemeteries, as well as gardens such as St. John’s Garden and Devonfield Gardens.
Since COVID, dog parenthood has skyrocketed, with more people seeking pets as they stayed put at home. Certainly, it has been interesting to see how different cities and towns deal with growing dog populations, to say the least. Hopefully, Liverpool keeps in mind the needs of dog parents and the wishes of the larger community.
