Dog walkers could face up to £500 fine from June 29th

A new law means dog walkers could face £500 on-the-spot fines from June 29. Local authorities and councils will gain the power to issue fines of up to £500 to dog walkers from the end of this month.

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 will see the maximum Fixed Penalty Notice for breaches of Public Spaces Protection Orders and Community Protection Notices rise to £500, reports Birmingham Live. This figure is currently capped at £100 but will increase at the end of June. John Roberts, chief services officer of Kingdom Local Authority Support, said: “The Crime and Policing Act 2026 is due to give local authorities unprecedented powers to combat issues such as dog fouling and public drinking.”

He continued: “The legislation increases the maximum Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) level for breaches of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) and Community Protection Notices (CPNs) from £100 to £500

“It’s important to note that this is not an automatic increase, but it does give councils the ability to set penalties at a higher level where appropriate.”

In public areas with PSPOs, dog owners may be required to keep their dog on a lead, or to put their dog on a lead if instructed to do so by a police officer, a police community support officer, or a council representative.

Owners may also be required to prevent their dog from accessing certain areas.

This could be in places such as a farmland or sections of a park, and restricts the number of dogs they have with them at any one time, a rule that also applies to professional dog walkers.

The Government website also advises that dog owners should always clean up after their pet and carry a poop scoop and disposable bags at all times.

Local councils are obliged to inform the public of any areas where PSPOs are in force.

Should a council intend to introduce a new PSPO, it must display a notice and publish the details on its official website.

The notice must clearly state the area to which the new PSPO will apply, along with details of any accompanying map and where it can be viewed.