You, your dog and the law

Alarming people or other animals

Dogs which jump up on or race towards you are sometimes simply being over-friendly or exuberant. However, this can alarm people - children in particular. If you fail to control your dog, or if it menaces people or other dogs for example, you could receive a Dog Control Notice (DCN), which may require you to keep your dog on a lead or have it muzzled in public places. Failure to comply with a DCN is an offence.

Attacking or biting people

If your dog tries to bite or attack people, you could be prosecuted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. This is a police matter and you could face being reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

Barking

A barking dog is not only alarming for children, some people and other animals, it can also annoy passers-by or neighbours. If your barking dog is causing a nuisance for your neighbours, they can raise an action under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 against you. And if the barking is considered a noise nuisance, we can serve a notice on you - and you could receive a Fixed Penalty Notice fine of £150 if you don't comply.

If your dog is barking too much this leaflet provides some tips to help to try and solve the problem:  Is Your Dog Barking Too Much? (PDF) [143KB]

If you are affected by someone else's dog barking the best option is in terms of section 49 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 which permits individuals to apply to the District Court to make an order requiring the owner of any creature causing annoyance to take steps to prevent this occurrence. More information on the process and how you can apply can be found in the leaflets below. The Current Fee and Payment Methods can be found at https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/rules-and-practice/fees/j-p-court-fees

How to Deal with the Problem (PDF) [196KB] Dog Barking Petition (PDF) [91KB] Dog Barking Guidance Notes (PDF) [3MB] The Noise App Public Information (PDF) [807KB] The Noise App User Guide (PDF) [269KB]

Fouling

When your dog fouls, you must pick it up immediately, bag it securely and dispose of it in a suitable bin. It doesn't have to be a red dog bin - a green domestic waste bin or black public bin will do. If you don't, you could receive a Fixed Penalty Notice fine of £80 (rising to £100 if unpaid after 28 days) for dog fouling. And if you drop the bag in a street or public place, you could receive another Fixed Penalty Notice fine of £80 for littering.

Micro Chipping

From the 6th April 2016, a new law intended to cut the number of strays in Scotland and boost responsible ownership is being introduced This means every dog will require to be micro-chipped with the chip registered along with the details of the keepers name and address.

Beaches

Dogs on our beaches - We don't have any dog restrictions on our beaches but we ask that dog walkers respect South Ayrshire at all times.