Are you a member of one of the 15 million households in the UK with a pet dog? Do you enjoy walking your dog on the beach – whether you are lucky enough to live nearby or like to holiday along some of England’s 4,400 km of coastline?

If so, you may have already realised that on some beaches your dog is not as welcome as you.

This is because many local authorities have introduced dog control orders under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, which allow them to restrict dogs’ access to beaches or ban them altogether.

The Kennel Club is campaigning to keep beaches open for dogs, and has suggested amendments to the Marine & Coastal Access Bill currently going through Parliament which, if successful, would prevent local authorities placing dog control orders on beaches.

KC Dog, the group established by the Kennel Club to monitor implementation of dog control orders, believes at least 120 councils have already used these powers, around 60 of which have imposed restrictions or bans on beaches. The dog owning public are therefore being urged to ask their local MP to support the amendments when the Marine and Coastal Access Bill is debated in the House of Commons and support Early Day Motion 1126: ‘Coastal Access for Dog Walkers’ which has been laid by Ian Cawsey MP

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Communications Director, said: “With over 4,000 km of coastline England is the perfect place to enjoy a stroll along the beach with your dog.

“Unfortunately dog owners are at serious risk of losing access to vast stretches of the coastline because of the increasing number of dog control orders being used to ban them from or restrict their access to England’s beaches. So long as dog owners behave responsibly there should be no reason not to allow them on the English coastal route.”

“There are so many benefits of dog ownership in terms of human health – from the physical benefits of regular walking to the positive effect of a dog’s companionship on its owner’s mental health. With so many encroachments on access to public space these benefits could be lost if dog ownership becomes less and less viable due to the lack of areas in which dogs can be walked.”

For further details on Kennel Club campaigns including campaign materials visit www.kennelclubcampaigns.org.uk To join KC Dog, the Kennel Club’s free information group for responsible dog owners visit www.kcdog.org.uk

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