Tower Hamlets Council to crackdown on dog-related anti-social behaviour
Following 101 complaints about dog behaviour since 2022, Tower Hamlets Council is considering giving police extra powers to crackdown on irresponsible owners.
Tower Hamlets Council is looking to crackdown on dog-related anti-social behaviour (ASB) by issuing £100 fines to owners caught being a nuisance following a rise of ‘out of control’ incidents in the borough.
The council is planning to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which will give the police and Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers (THEOs) extra powers to fine dog owners who behave irresponsibly in public areas.
The plans were discussed at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday 24 July and approved by members. The council will now begin a public consultation with residents and key stakeholders, with the results of this expected to go back to cabinet in the autumn of this year.
According to a cabinet report, the borough saw a number of dog attack incidents in summer 2023 involving out of control, dangerous and nuisance dogs which caused injuries and prompted the council to look at ways to tackle the issue.
Under the PSPO, dog owners would need to follow council rules on dog fouling, the number of dogs one person can walk at one time, dog-excluded areas such as spaces used by children, and having dogs on leads such as on roads, car parks and communal areas of estates.
Dog walkers would also need to comply if they are asked by officers to put their dog on a lead if it appears the dog isn’t under proper control of its walker.
If dog owners fail to comply with the conditions of the PSPO, they will be handed a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £100 and if not paid, could lead to prosecution and a maximum penalty fine of £1,000.
Animal warden officers have recommended the maximum number of dogs that can be walked at a given time should be no more than four however, the council is considering introducing fees and a licence for professional dog walkers which may allow them to walk more than the maximum number under the PSPO.
Council officers said in the report: ‘We know that the vast majority of dogs are peaceful and dog owners are law abiding and respectful of others around them.
‘It is therefore important to ensure we neither demonise all dogs nor penalise responsible dog owners, and that any action we take is proportionate. It is important that any action taken goes hand in hand with looking at how we tackle fear, misinformation and negative perception about dog behaviour and control.’
Since 2022, the borough has seen 101 complaints or member enquiries about dog behaviour, including 23 reports about dangerous dogs and 43 dog fouling incidents.
THEOs have responded to 690 incidents, with the majority being dealt with by the council’s animal warden team.
The top five issues were:
- Stray dogs: 195 incidents
- Barking dogs: 172 incidents
- Dog fouling: 118 incidents
- Dangerous dogs: 103 incidents
- Non-specific complaints about dogs: 65 incidents
The council has said people who are registered blind, or have a disability which requires an assistance dog are exempt from a dog control PSPO.
People who are registered deaf would also be exempt, except for picking up dog mess.
The council currently has three PSPOs in place which relate to responsible drinking, ASB related to NOx and a third one in Ropemakers Fields, which is a park in the borough, to tackle ASB.
The London boroughs of Newham, Hackney, Islington, Redbridge, Enfield, Haringey, Camden, Westminster, Wandsworth, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich all have PSPOs for dog-related ASB.
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