You can be fined £100 for failing to pick up your dog's poo in Leeds next month

Dog control orders requiring anyone walking a pet to carry a bag for mess have been in place since July - but Leeds City Council decided to offer a few months' 'grace period' to allow the information to be distributed.

This period of non-enforcement ends in December, when owners become liable to pay fines.

Huge new dog daycare centre planned for MeanwoodThe orders also cover dog owners who break rules requiring their animals to be on a lead in certain areas, and who flout the ban on dogs entering all council-owned tennis courts and games areas.

Childminder hits out at Belle Isle street's dog poo nightmareDog wardens also have powers to request that a nuisance dog is put on a lead and to restrict the maximum number of dogs that can be under one person's control in a public space.

The fixed penalty notice for anyone not adhering to the above rules is £100, or £80 if you pay the fine within 10 days.

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council executive board member for environment said:

“The primary aim is to encourage good habits throughout the city. With the co-operation of residents, visitors and businesses, we hope to see a great improvement throughout Leeds resulting in high standards of cleanliness.

“We don’t want to have to fine people, so it is a simple case of doing the right thing, putting litter in the bin and picking up their dog’s mess.”

The rules on walking your dog in Leeds

The orders require a person responsible for a dog to:-

- Pick up dog faeces left by a dog at all times

- Carry a means to pick up after their dog, such as a poo bag or similar

- Keep dogs on leads in designated areas. In Leeds this includes all roads, pavements and footpaths (including gated alleyways) next to carriageways, as well as cemeteries, crematoria, specialist public gardens and parks; and some council-owned golf courses

- Put dogs on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer

- Ensure dogs do not enter designated exclusion areas. Dog exclusion areas include children’s playgrounds, some sports courts, council-owned tennis courts, multi-use games areas (MUGAS) remembrance and wildlife gardens, and many school grounds

- Limit the number of dogs walked to a maximum of four at a time. The exception to this rule is professional dog walkers which are allowed to walk up to six providing that they do not walk with or alongside any other dogs.