Gwynedd Council is eager to hear the views of the county’s residents about new Dog Control Powers for the county.
As part of the consultation which will be open from 24 May, the Council will be asking for the public’s opinions on how best to tackle dog fouling concerns, and seeking resident’s views on areas where dogs should be restricted.
The consultation will also ask residents about the possible exclusion of dogs from certain areas such as school grounds, playing fields, sports facilities and seasonal restrictions at some beaches.
Councillor Catrin Wager, Gwynedd Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Municipal matters said: “Dog fouling is something that really concerns Gwynedd residents and it’s important that as a council we take action on this issue. We’ve run various campaigns to try and reduce incidents of fouling on our streets, and have also been providing free dog waste bags for residents.
“I am grateful to the majority of dog-owners in Gwynedd, who are very careful and clean-up after their pets. Regrettably, there are still some owners who leave their dogs waste, or filled waste bags behind for others to deal with. This isn’t acceptable, and significant fines can be issued for such behaviour.
“The Council will be carrying out a public consultation from 24 May on new Dog Control Powers – but this won’t only be about dog fouling. We will also want to hear people’s views about areas where dogs have or should be restricted, such as school grounds, children’s play areas and certain beaches.
“I know that people have strong feelings about dog fouling and dog restrictions, and I’d encourage local residents to share those views with us – if you own a dog or not – to help us ensure that the new arrangements meet local needs.”
The public consultation will be open from Monday, 24 May and will be available on the Council website www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/consultations – alternatively, paper copies will be available from local Gwynedd libraries (due to Covid-19 restrictions, entrance to libraries are by appointment at present).
