When to keep your dog on a lead – updated signs in town park

The town council have improved the visibility of the dog control orders in Victoria Park, with signs re-installed, showing dogs must be kept on leads between 10am and 6.30pm from 1st April to 30th September.

At the full Frome Town Council meeting on Wednesday 14th June, the town council reported the signs in Victoria Park have been re-designed and re-installed, to be more visible to dog walkers, following a question from Somerset councillor, cllr Dawn Denton, who highlighted that dog walkers do not seem to be adhering to these dog control orders.

The dog control orders stipulate that from 1st April to 30th September, all dogs must be kept on leads of maximum 2m in length between 10am and 6.30pm. From 6.30pm to 10am, dogs must be put on leads of maximum 2m in length if asked by a council officer, police community support officer or police officer and this order applies from 1st October to 31st March.

Failure to comply with these orders can result in a fixed penalty notice of £80, or a maximum penalty notice of £1,000.

A member of Frome Town Council said, “We have just re-done the signs in Victoria Park around the dogs on leads and it’s 10am until 6.30pm [that dogs should be on leads]. In the morning, dogs are allowed off leads because I think that was the conversation that was had with the dog walkers at the time and then hopefully in prime picnic time, dogs are definitely on leads.”

One resident who was unaware of the restriction but agrees with them said, “Before the new signs were put up, there were 15 dogs at one time off their leads. I do not think people were aware of the rules (I certainly wasn’t). I contacted the council to complain because I was walking with my baby in the pram, a dog was off its lead and proceeded to follow us and then went for my leg. This is not acceptable.

“The amount of people you see in there that can’t control their dogs is dangerous. I think they should be on leads at all times in that park as it’s not a huge field and there are lots of people that use it, especially small children. Dogs need to be under control in that environment.

“We live in the beautiful countryside where there are places to go for dogs to run free, so I suggest people go there. It is about being fair, respectful and sensible to all. I personally am afraid of dogs and am nervous when they approach me off a lead. It is wrong to assume that everyone is ok with dogs. If there are dogs running off their leads, then you can’t have a picnic without a dog coming over.”

However, another resident said, “I think it’s unfair to restrict dogs in a green space, not all dogs are a menace. I think it’s unfair if the park is empty and dogs have to be kept on leads! There are picnic tables in the children’s area or a fenced off space in the bigger play area.”

Other dog control orders in Victoria Park include clearing up after dogs at all times and no dogs are allowed in the children’s play areas or the Mary Baily Playing Field, except for trained assistance dogs.

Dog control orders are a government initiative designed to encourage the co-existence of dog walkers, along with other members of the public, on council-owned land. Measures include making sure owners clear up after their dogs; dogs being kept on leads at certain times in certain areas; dogs on leads by direction which means authorised officers can ask for dogs to be put on leads if they are not in control; dogs exclusion order, which means banning dogs in certain areas.