Well behaved dogs in Kelsall please

With the summer holidays here, we’d like to remind all residents of a few points regarding dogs in the village.

The majority of dog owners are responsible, and their dogs well behaved, but  it’s worth reminding ourselves of the need to rub along with all residents, including those who don’t have dogs, and may not be comfortable around them.

On Kelsall Green, dogs are allowed off the lead provided they are “under close control”. This means that your dog has been trained and has good recall. If your dog does not easily come back when called, or is still being trained, please use a long lead.

We would ask dog owners to understand that some people are nervous of dogs, particularly young children and their parents. Do not let your dogs jump or fuss at people they do not know.

The fenced playground area is off limits to all dogs. This is to make sure that all children can be free to run and play without worry. All users should close the gates, so that dogs do not run in by mistake.

Other areas of the Green also have play equipment, and we would ask you to be mindful of children using those, and watch that dogs do not chase the zipwire or balls in the football or paved basketball goal areas

On pavements, by law dogs must be on a short lead.

In all areas of the village, dog poo must be picked up and binned (or taken home to throw away). Of course most owners do this, but it seems that an increasing number of people are distracted by their phone and do not always notice what their dog is leaving behind. Please watch your dog, not your screen!

BlueCross.org has useful summary of dog-related laws in the UK here