Dogs
Dog fouling
You must clear up after your dog by law. If a council officer sees you failing to clean up after your dog, you will be asked to clear it up or you can be given a fine (fixed penalty notice) which allows you to pay £100 rather than be prosecuted. If you fail to pay the fine within 14 days, legal proceedings will be started. A Magistrate's Court may impose a fine of up to £1,000.
A Public Space Protection Order relating to greater dog controls was made on the 1 June 2016 and replaces a number of out of date by-laws and deals with issues such as dog fouling, and other forms of irresponsible dog ownership.
It makes it an offence to fail to:
- Pick up after your dog (dog mess) - this will now include all land to which the public can gain access
- Put a dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer – this allows our officers to request a dog is put on a lead when it is causing nuisance and/or danger to other persons and their dogs
- Provide the means to pick up after your dog, such as dog mess bags, when asked to do so by an authorised officer
You can report someone for not clearing up after their dog.
Report a street that needs cleaning.
Barking dogs
To report a barking dog that is causing a nuisance, please e-mail environmentteam@harborough.gov.uk
Barking dogs can legally be considered a nuisance. We can give the owner a notice stating that the noise must stop, and ask for certain things to be done to achieve this. If the problem continues the owner may face a fine of up to £5,000, and also risks having the dog removed in order to stop the nuisance.
If your dog's barking is making neighbours complain you can contact the dog warden for advice on ways of dealing with dog's barking which is causing a nuisance. Please e-mail environmentteam@harborough.gov.uk
Stray and lost dogs
To report a stray or lost dog, please e-mail environmentteam@harborough.gov.uk or you can also call 01858 828282 to report a lost or stray dog.
If your dog is in a public place without supervision it is classed as a stray dog. Our dog wardens pick up stray dogs and the owner will be charged £25 plus kenneling costs before the dog can be returned. If unclaimed after a few days, the dog is taken to rescue kennels. If unclaimed after 7 days it may be found a new home, with a new owner. This new person becomes the legal owner. If a dog has an identification tag we can contact you to arrange for its return.
Microchipping your dog
By law a dog in a public place must be wearing a collar and identification with its owner's name and address on and, as of 6 April 2016, it must be microchipped. Owners can be fined £500 if this is not the case.
Microchipping is now recognised as the most effective and secure way of permanently identifying a pet. A unique identification number is registered to the animal and the owner's details are placed on a national database. It is estimated that less than half of all dogs that go missing each year are reunited with their owners. Getting your dog microchipped and keeping the details up to date gives the assurance that should they become lost (or be stolen) they are more likely to be returned to you safe and sound.
Dead animals
You can report a dead animal found on public land and we will remove it.
XL Bully Dogs
Under new rules, which come into force at the end of the year, it will be illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, rehome, abandon or allow XL Bully dogs to stray in England and Wales.
From 31 December 2023, XL Bully dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public. Owners of XL Bully dogs are recommended to start training their dog to wear a muzzle and to walk on a lead ahead of the legal restrictions coming into force.
Breeders have also been told to stop mating these types of dogs in preparation of it being a criminal offence to sell or rehome these dogs.
Registering and neutering
From 1 February 2024, it will then become illegal to own an XL Bully dog if it is not registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs. By staggering these two dates, current owners of this breed will have time to prepare for these new rules.
Owners who wish to keep their dogs will have until the end of January to register them and will be forced to comply with strict requirements. As well as being muzzled and kept on a lead in public, these dogs must also be micro-chipped and neutered. Information on how to register dogs is available via the external link below.
Dogs under one year when the ban comes in must be neutered by the end of the year, older dogs must be neutered by the end of June.
From 1 February, owners without a Certificate of Exemption face a criminal record and an unlimited fine if they are found to be in possession of an XL Bully type, and their dog could be seized.
Owners may choose to have their dog put to sleep by a vet, with compensation provided to help with these costs. Further details on how to apply for compensation and the evidence required to make a claim are available via the external link below.
As part of the process, the definition of the ‘XL Bully’ breed type has been published. This follows meetings of an expert group, convened by the Environment Secretary and made up of police, local authority, vets and other animal welfare experts to help define the breed. The definition provides clear assessment criteria for owners and enforcement authorities and is a requirement under the Dangerous Dogs Act in order to deliver the ban. Further information is available by following the link below.