The summer is approaching and soon we shall all be more inclined towards spending time in the great outdoors.

This is especially welcome news for the dog owners amongst us, who will find their daily walks with their canine friends distinctly more enjoyable. This country is blessed with such beautiful countryside, and what better way to enjoy it than with a four –legged companion? If you are not lucky enough to have a dog at present, we at Dogs Trust are always on the look out for new volunteers to assist with walking the 16,000 dogs in our care.

Enjoying the sunshine with your dog is one of life’s little pleasures, and provided owners are responsible and follow a few simple rules such as keeping their dogs on leads by roads, or and cleaning up after themselves, it is no more anti-social than going for a walk alone.

It is with disappointment then, that we are receiving reports from some of our supporters that some Local Authorities and Parish councils are trying to introduce rather draconian measures to ban dog walking in certain areas or forcing owners to keep their dogs on leads at all times, even in parks and fields. Now one of the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 is that animals should ‘be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns”. For dogs this will clearly include the ability to exercise the dog off the lead in an appropriate place, enjoying all the sights and smells our green spaces have to offer them.

Strict Dog Control orders punish both dogs and owners for the sins of the irresponsible few. If you have any concerns about any measures being taken in your area, don’t forget to inform us. We have been instrumental in overturning such measures in the past but we can only do this if you let us know!