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Court fine for woman caught with dog off lead

picture of a dog on a lead

Having your dog off the lead in a dogs on lead zone can cost you a lot of money, as one Plymouth woman found out at Plymouth Magistrates Court on Thursday 9 September.

Gillian O'Neill, aged 66 of Pennycross Park Road, was found guilty of a breach of a Public Space Protection Order in Pounds Park in November 2020.

The court heard from a Council environmental enforcement officer, who had observed  O'Neill's dog running off the lead in the prohibited area. It was only when he approached O'Neill that she tried to recall her dog.

He then issued her with a fixed penalty notice for £100 but despite several reminders, it went unpaid, resulting in a summons to court.

O’Neill, who attended court and pleaded not guilty, claimed that her dog was on a lead, but it was accidentally attached to a flea collar which snapped, enabling the dog to run “off lead” in the prohibited area of Pounds House.

The Court did not accept this explanation and O'Neill was found guilty of the offence. She was ordered to pay a fine of £100, £400 costs and a victim surcharge of £34. Payment must be made in full within 14 days.

Councillor Maddi Bridgeman, Cabinet member for the Environment and Street Scene, said: "We want everyone to enjoy using our green spaces and that's why, in a very small percentage of our parks, we ask that dogs are kept on leads. It really isn't too much to ask.

"After all, even the most responsible dog owner can lose sight of their dog when they are off the lead and not notice if they poo.

"Some people may think this is a heavy-handed approach but rules are rules and if you do not pay your fixed penalty notice, then court is where you will end up."

More information on dog control can be found at www.plymouth.gov.uk/dogcontrol