Canine Law - Information Guide for dog owners.

Dog Law - Noise & Fouling:

Barking Dogs:

It is natural for dogs to bark, but excessive barking can cause a nuisance to neighbours, who can lodge a complaint with their local authority who will then have a duty to investigate the complaint.

Points which may be considered would include the volume and length of time the barking continues for, as well as the times of day it occurs.

Local Authorities can issue a Noise Abatement Notice, if the situation wasn't resolved then a prosecution could follow, a fine could be imposed on the dog owner.

Responsible dog owners should be considerate of their neighbours and if they have a problem with a dog barking – seek advice to help solve this.

Gardens & dog faeces:

It doesn't take long for faeces to build up in the garden if not cleaned away each day, large amounts accumulated causes a nuisance, it smells and can attract flies etc, a complaint could be made to the council who will try to hopefully solve the problem informally.

If not, then an abatement notice under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 can be served. If the notice is not complied with, prosecution may follow.

Fouling in public places:

England & Wales - see the Dog Control Orders here.

Scotland - The Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 applies to any public place. It is an offence for any person in charge of a dog to fail to remove and dispose of appropriately any excretement after the dog has fouled on any public place.

A fixed Penalty Notice can be issued. The Act lists a number of exemptions, including a blind person in charge of a dog that is being used for guidance. There is no exemption for children under the age of 16 years. For further details click the link above to the Act.

Legislation:

Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003

Environmental Protection Act 1990

The information contained here does not constitute legal advice in and of itself. You must contact a Solicitor for advice before acting upon anything that you read on this web site.

For help with finding a solicitor who has experience with canine legislation - please contact us.

Please Visit Our Dog Law Section Here