Dog owners are to have extended access to specified open spaces and stretches of Douglas beach after Douglas Borough Council’s revised dog control byelaws came into effect on August 1st.

Provisions under the Douglas Dog Control Byelaws 2015 now allow dogs to be exercised at all times on the beach between the steps opposite the Queen’s Hotel to Derby Castle, provided they are not at large and the faeces is removed. Owners are reminded, however, that between 10am and 5pm from May 1st to September 30th dogs are prohibited from the stretch of Douglas beach which extends from the Bottleneck car park to the steps opposite the Queen’s Hotel.

The updated byelaws also extend those areas of open spaces where dogs are permitted to be exercised provided they are kept on a lead and restricted to public footpaths at all times. These include Douglas borough cemetery and Douglas lawn cemetery, Summerhill Glen, the Villa Marina gardens, Noble’s Park and Douglas golf course.

Environmental services committee chairman Councillor Ritchie McNicholl said: ‘The Council has listened to requests from dog owners for greater freedom where they can legally exercise their dogs. These updated byelaws are a direct response to those appeals.

‘We are proud of the diversity and quality of our open spaces – indeed only recently the Council was awarded five Green Flags for the high standards the parks section achieves – and we want those spaces to be enjoyed by everyone. The dog-owning community is in the main, extremely responsible – although regrettably there will always be an antisocial minority who fail to pick up after their dogs - and I am confident all owners with a sense of civic pride will welcome and abide by the extended access these byelaws provide.’

To view the Douglas Dog Control Byelaws 2015 visit douglas.gov.im.