Canine proposals are over the top, says dog-loving councillor

Camden Council s consultation on its new dog plans ended last week, and a decision will now be made on what to do. As a dog owner (of an eight-year-old Collie-cross-Alsatian called Bobby, pictured right) as well as a local councillor here, I believe that

Camden Council's consultation on its new dog plans ended last week, and a decision will now be made on what to do. As a dog owner (of an eight-year-old Collie-cross-Alsatian called Bobby, pictured right) as well as a local councillor here, I believe that some of the proposals are too draconian and I'm therefore calling on the executive to drop the most excessive of them.

It is of course reasonable to be able to fine people whose dogs are out of control or foul public areas. Current legislation allows this, and the council should enforce it.

But banning dogs completely from certain areas and insisting that they are on leads in most places is not reasonable. The idea that you shouldn't be able to walk more than four dogs at a time is also absurd. The ten designated exercise areas are inadequate for Camden's estimated 22,000 dog population.

That's why I'm urging the executive to avoid heavy handed and intrusive measures. We don't want a dog enforcement regime that resembles the parking enforcement regime!

I hope that the executive will now take a common sense approach - one which allows the council to ensure that dogs do not menace members of the public, but without unnecessarily curtailing dog owners' freedom.

Cllr Chris Philp

(Con, Gospel Oak) Parliamentary

Spokesman, Hampstead & Kilburn