Promoting responsible dog ownership in Wales

New plans aimed at promoting responsible dog ownership and helping to prevent dogs from becoming dangerously out of control are being launched by Welsh Labour’s Environment Minister, John Griffiths.

The draft Control of Dogs (Wales) Bill sets out a number of proposals for dealing with out of control dogs at the earliest point possible. It also introduces a new mechanism for enforcing these proposals. There are 450,000 dogs in Wales, the majority of which are kept under control. However in instances where there are problems with a dog’s behaviour the draft Bill proposes Draft Control Notices (DCN) that can be issued by local authorities to dog owners when their dogs are showing signs of being out of control.

When an owner is given a DCN they will be required take certain steps, such as keep their dogs under control, provide relevant information to their local authority, attend training sessions, only let their dog out in public if accompanied by an over-16 or if muzzled, or keep the dog away from certain parks and roads altogether.

The proposed legislation also requires people to control dogs when they are in their own homes and not just when they are in public places. Local authorities will keep track of anyone who is given a DCN and make sure they are taken the necessary steps to change their dog’s behaviour.