Dogs

Dogs

Owning a dog can bring a lot of pleasure - but it brings responsibilities too. Responsibilities to our neighbours, to people who want to enjoy the district's beaches, parks and open spaces - and to the dogs themselves who do not deserve the bad name irresponsible owners give them.

Dog fouling

Whether you live in Shepway or are visiting the district, please remember to be a responsible owner and observe our bylaws. 

No-one should have to ‘dodge the dog mess' when they are out and about in our district. Not only is it unpleasant, but dog mess can transmit the disease Toxocara Canis to humans. Although the disease is relatively rare, it can cause disability and blindness - and children are particularly vulnerable.  You must clear up after your dog if it fouls any land owned, or maintained, by Shepway Council. This covers most open space in the district including parks, children's play areas, sports pitches, recreation grounds, grass verges, promenades, roads that have a speed limit of 40mph or less, pavements, footpaths and beaches.

Small plastic bags or nappy sacks make ideal poop scoops. Keep them where you keep your dog lead so that picking up a few bags becomes as automatic as clipping your dog on its lead before going for a walk.

To avoid smells and prevent flies, please tie the bag before depositing it in dog waste bin or litter bin. Please don't throw bags into hedges, verges or drains. Keep them until you find a bin.
We will take action under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 to crack down on irresponsible owners who do not clear up after their pets. Owners can be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £50. Persistent offenders and anyone who refuses to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice will be taken to court where they could face a fine of up to £1,000.
Under the act, being unaware that your dog has fouled or not having a poop scoop or bag is no excuse for failing to clear up.
Only people in charge of a guide dog or assistance dog are exempt from the legislation.

Report a fouling problem online

Dog-free and dog-friendly beaches

The Shepway coastline with its 23 miles of sand and shingle beaches offers some great walks for dogs and their owners. But not everyone wants to share beaches with dogs all the year round. Between 1 May and 30 September certain beaches are ‘dog-free'

Please check for the ‘no dogs' signs and continue to keep checking - most signs are on the promenade and you might not see them from the beach itself.

About half our beaches have a summer beach ban - leaving plenty of other dog-friendly parts of the coastline for dogs and owners to enjoy. Please remember that poop scoop laws apply on all beaches at all times.

The seven beaches where a summer dog ban is in place are:
Folkestone - Sunny Sands
Sandgate - Sea Road to Sandgate Castle
Hythe - Twiss Road to St Leonard's Road;
Dymchurch - Sycamore Gardens to Martello Car Park.
St Mary's Bay - The Fairway to river outfall at the site of the Sands Motel.
Littlestone - water tower at Madeira Road to Clark Road.
Greatstone - Jolly Fisherman car park to Seaview Road.

See our leaflet 'Taking the Lead'  for more details and maps of dog-free and dog-friendly summer beaches 

Dogs - where they must be on a lead

There are more than 130 areas throughout Shepway where dogs must be on a lead. These include some public open spaces - like The Leas in Folkestone - and certain parks, roads and built-up areas. Even the best-behaved dogs can cause problems and frighten people when running loose. Look out for the signs and make sure you observe the bylaw.

Stray dogs

All dogs must wear a collar and tag with the owner's name, address and telephone number when in a public place. A dog with an identity tag can be returned to its owner if it strays. Without it, it may be seized as a stray.
We also recommend micro-chipping - which involves implanting an identity microchip the size of a grain of rice under the dog's skin. Please speak to your vet about micro-chipping. All dogs picked up as strays will be automatically scanned for a chip. 

Dogs should be taken out for walks - not allowed out to roam the streets on their own.  It puts the animal and others at risk of accident and injury.  Owners who allow their dogs to roam can face prosecution and a fine of up to £5,000. 

Helping Rover's Return

Our Environmental Community Officers deal with stray, lost and found dogs. 

When they find a stray dog, their first step will be to try and trace the owner.  They will ask people in the area where the dog was found if they know it or its owner.  Valuable time could be saved - and less stress caused to the dog - if owners obeyed the law and made sure their dogs had ID tags on their collars!

If efforts to trace the owner fail, the dog will be taken to the safety of local kennels.  If an owner does come forward, they will be charged a standard government fee of £25, an additional £25 if the dog is taken to kennels at night, plus a daily kennelling fee, depending on how long the dog has been looked after, plus any vets fees.  If no owner comes forward after seven days, the kennel owners will do their very best to find the dog a new home.

What should I do if I find a dog?

Call the council on the numbers below.  Please provide as much information as possible and stay with the dog and secure it, if it is safe to do so.

During normal working hours (8.00am to 5.00pm) the council will arrange to collect the dog from you.

As the finder, you may also ask to keep the dog.  If you do this and the council officer agrees, you will be asked to keep the dog for a month.  If the owner fails to come forward to claim it within this time, then you will become the owner of the dog.

Between 6.00pm and 8.00am during the week and between 4.00pm and 8.00am at weekends and bank holidays you will be asked to bring the dog in to the council's drop off point at the Civic Centre, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, CT20 2QY.

From Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm call 01303 858660.

At weekends (including bank holidays) and between 5.00pm and 8.30am call 01303 853000.

What should I do if my dog goes missing?

Call us straight away on the numbers below.  Please give a full description of your dog, including its breed, colour, name and sex.  Please also let us know if your dog has any distinguishing marks.  The time and location of where your dog went missing is also very important as it will enable us to identify your dog sooner if we find it.

From Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm call 01303 858660.

At weekends (including bank holidays) and between 5.00pm and 8:30am call 01303 853000.