Dogs should be banned from sports fields - chairman

Report by Tom Wright , Reporter Thursday, June 21, 2012
5:20 PM

A FOOTBALL club chairman has said it is essential dogs are banned from sport playing fields, despite many pet lovers getting hot under the collar over the issue.

North Somerset Council is currently holding a public consultation as it considers whether to restrict the number of places where dogs can be walked or roam freely without the use of a lead.

Mark Williams, chairman of Cleeve Football Club, who play in King George V Playing Fields, said it was essential the council carried through with the idea to protect sportsmen and children.

He said: “The bottom line is that it is a playing field, with a children’s play area first and foremost and therefore the health and safety of the majority of people that use it for sporting and play activities must take priority.”

In Yatton there is a complete ban on dogs in Rock Road and Hangstones playing fields and Mr Williams said he could not understand the lack of consistency.

He added: “Nobody I have spoken to, including dog owning friends can understand why dogs are allowed to roam freely on a space designated for sports and children.

“We understand many people are responsible owners and I sympathise with them. But there is too much evidence of this problem over the years for us to accept the status quo.

“Any measure in our eyes is a good measure, if it helps reduce and hopefully eliminate such an antisocial health hazard.

“Anyone standing in the way of such proposals is behaving in an unbelievably arrogant and selfish manner. People have the right to enjoy a clean playing environment, free from the vile deposits left behind by dogs.”

The council has proposed 25 orders including three in Weston. Other areas where orders may be introduced are Banwell, Bleadon, Redhill, Wrington, Locking, Winscombe and Hutton.

For an online consultation form visit www.n-somerset.gov.uk/dogcontrolorders2012 or visit any council-run library. The deadline for replies is June 30.

10 comments

Firstly may I say well done Weston Mercury on taking note on comments from the previous article about this issue, your title is much more appropriate and the picture is far better not a vicious dog, thank you. I am a dog owner and a parent of 2 young children. I agree with many comments left, I believe as with most things in life there are the few that ruin it for the majority and I don't know what we do to educate dog owners to be responsible and pick up their dog poo. I don't want my children to step in poo, and they have, its disgusting, I want them to be able to run and play without having me shout 'watch out for dog poo'. I walk my children to school everyday and everyday we have to dodge poo on pavements. I agree that sports areas should be just that and not have dogs running off leads, but more because of distruption to games. I agree that dogs shouldn't be able to go into childrens play areas and they don't, they are fenced appropriately. If a dog owner is not going to pick up their dog poo, it doesn't matter if they are on a lead or not, they are just not going to do it. Dogs need exercise so will be walked on a off leads so lets make better provision for this, more dog poo bins would be a start, on the spot fines, and policing of the bylaw. And how about dog parks, I believe they have these in America. It gets my goat that people label dog owners as irresponsible ..... not all of us are.

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Shephard5

Friday, June 22, 2012
gruf69, There are no bin bags anymore and I have never in over 30 years steped in a cat poo plus I don't think that there is any in my garden. I have never met a dog owner who doesn't pick up their dog's mess but I could take a quick walk along the riverside here and find many examples of failed pickups. Could be a dobermann size cat though, with a bin bag in its mouth!

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neo

Friday, June 22, 2012
I fully support the ban of dogs from my local sports field and also the view of 'Community Dad and 'haveyouseenthesparrow'. I personally take my children on the playing fields on a weekend to play, but it is becoming more apparent that dog fouling is a real problem. I have witnessed owners allowing their dogs to run on the football cricket pitches and 'foul'! This is unacceptable and clearly effects the local sports clubs. I have been watching our local football and cricket teams playing when their games have been stopped to allow the removal of this. There are many other walks around cleeve so dogs can taken there.

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norman greenslade

Friday, June 22, 2012
Anybody that objects to this suggestion has either never personally been affected by this or had a child of their's stepped in or slide through dog mess. Having experinced both I support a ban. I don't believe the suggestion here is to discriminate against anyone. There should be areas clealry set aside for dog walkers as well as those for childrensports etc. I would suggest that being called the King George V PLAYING Feild indicates the intended use of that particular area.

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Community Dad

Friday, June 22, 2012
As a father of three, i had experienced first hand the dog muck being left on the ground and being in my sons shoes. I fully support the ban, it's disgusting what is left on the playing fields! I've also played cricket at cleeve and it's unsafe for players in the outfield. I love dogs, but they must be on leads and cleared up after.

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haveyouseenthesparrow

Friday, June 22, 2012
can we also stop cats fouling in gardens and shredding bin bags ........... most dog owners i know clean up after their pets its a small minority that dont which spoil it for everyone dont punish the dogs punish the owners

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gruf69

Friday, June 22, 2012
Dave, top line says......Please take a look at the map of the park or area you are interested in. After that please use this ......online questionnaire........ to say what you think. Click on the link that is ........online questionnaire...... and the questionnaire opens in a new tab. Hope this helps

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Neptune

Thursday, June 21, 2012
"You can respond to this consultation using our easy-to-use on-line questionnaire...."[etc etc] [page down a bit] "There are no questionnaires set up for this consultation." I don't get it...

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Big Dave

Thursday, June 21, 2012
Bring back fox hunting, foxes go across and on sports fields, shoot all the birds, stops the droppings, badgers,stoats weasels, mice, rats and so on, where to stop? All the diseases that those, who participate in any sport, pick up from their fields do we now ban them from public areas? Education is required to advise those that let their animals foul the place where a human walks, runs or plays in the form of more "litter" bins, more notices, more park keepers, people who can issue on the spot fines for fouling, stop the young teens drinking illegally, my how the list goes on.

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Neptune

Thursday, June 21, 2012
Dogs should be banned from all playing fields. Many dog owners do not pick up the mess left by their animals, and this can cause blindness and other illnesses. Take your dogs up the woods if you need to exercise them.

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Mabel Thorpe

Thursday, June 21, 2012