Dog owners banned from using long leads

The Kennel Club, Britain´s biggest organisation dedicated to dog welfare, labelled the rules as ´completely arbitrary´ and ´unnecessary´
The ban on leads longer than two metres (6ft 5in) applies to dozens of parks and open spaces.
Bosses at Tameside council, in Greater Manchester, say they have brought in the measure to reduce dog fouling. The council says owners are more likely to clean up after their pets if they are on a short lead.

But the move was slammed as ´ridiculous´ by dog owners, charities and pressure groups, which also questioned how wardens will be able to police the ban.
Dylan Sharpe, campaign director of Big Brother Watch - part of the Taxpayers´ Alliance campaign group - said: "This proposal is completely barking mad - only a local authority would even think of fining people £1,000 because of the length of their dog lead.
"This is just the latest in a steady stream of potty policies that try to criminalise and fine innocent dog walkers."
Tameside is the first local authority in Greater Manchester to bring in the rule and introduced it despite many retractable leads being between five and eight metres in length.
Town hall chiefs have also banned dogs from cemeteries and school playing fields, with wardens now being trained to enforce the ban.
The Kennel Club, Britain´s biggest organisation dedicated to dog welfare, labelled the rules as ´completely arbitrary´ and ´unnecessary´.
Spokeswoman Caroline Kisko said: "Bringing in an order which states to ´keep the dog on a lead of not more than two metres in length´ seems completely arbitrary and unnecessary. We believe it will be ineffective and extremely difficult to enforce. Many dog owners use flexible retractable leads in order to allow their dogs some freedom while still maintaining control so it seems particularly unfair to limit the length of lead in this way."

Janet Sykes, from Ashton, who trains a dog that is used as Ken Barlow´s pooch Eccles in Coronation Street, said: "This approach is like using a sledge hammer to turn off a computer - it´s totally over the top."

But Tameside council defended its policy, saying the changes were made to make green spaces ´more enjoyable´. A spokeswoman added: "People are more likely to clean up after - and have control of - their pets when they are on a lead.

"The areas where we are asking people to keep their dogs on a lead include formal gardens and sports pitches in parks. However in almost all cases there are open spaces very close by where people can exercise their dogs off the lead."

Although Tameside is the first in Greater Manchester to bring in the restrictions, Rossendale council introduced the same rule last year.
Telegraph .

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wil...ong-leads.html

just coz a few dont pick up, others have to suffer...

Bloody ridiculous! How about they ban off lead dogs too? Because we all know it's absolutely impossible to keep an eye on your dog and notice when they go to the toilet when they're more than 5 ft in front of you...

Yes because banning long leads which lots of people use to train their dogs to recall is a sure fire way to make sure people have their dogs under control

What a load of ********! This is when people power and petitions need to come into force. Those in the council will just wipe the floor with law abiding people otherwise. Why? Because it's too damn easy for them to do so.

What a bunch of Dickheads!

Can sort of see where they're coming from - too many numpties with flexi leads who just switch off and turn backs letting dogs wander at will. That includes in busy public places and pavements too.

Ban flexis - not long-lines - I guess the council is too numpty to notice the difference.

Oh no, ban crappy dog owners not flexis. I use a flexi sometimes and manage to control and clean up after my dogs no problem!

So much easier to ban the "tool" not the tools at the end of the lead though! As that council have decided by deciding a lead length!

It's a backdoor way of banning Flexis. How many people do they see using genuine training longlines as opposed to Flexis.....?

Still doesn't make it right though, banning a tool to compensate for poor ownership.

Agreed........ but that's what they've done.

Now it's up to all the Flexi lead users in Manchester to band together to appeal.

Actually NO. People are not more likely to pick up after their dog if they're on a short leash. Trust me. I see people in my neighborhood with dogs on 4 and 6 foot leashes letting their dogs poop and walking away from it. My dog, on her 12 foot flexi or off leash in safer areas, is almost always picked up after (I admit to flaking out once in a great while and forgetting a bag, but I pick up about 99% of the time or more).