General Discussion
Dog owners beware
This is taken from the E&E. Now whilst I agree there are some very irresponsible dog owners, most are responsible. We are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, yet those in authority will do their utmost to castigate all animal lovers for the sake of a few irresponsible one's. These draconian measures will be available to DAWLISH in the not too distant future.
DOG OWNER REFUSES INTERVIEW 'UNDER CAUTION'
11:40 - 07 July 2007
A woman has been summoned to Exeter Civic Centre to be interviewed "under caution" by officials because she won't pay a £75 fine for allegedly having her dog Shana off the lead.
But defiant Lindsay Roden, 35, won't be going after her solicitor assured her that officials had no authority to question her.
She said: "It appears they want to tape record an interview with me but I don't see the point because I simply won't be believed anyway. They will take their own dog warden's word before mine."
Lindsay's problems began when she drove from her home in Copplestone to her work place off Countess Wear Road.
"For the past five years, I have been taking my dog to work with me. She just sits in the garden. Shana is 11 years old now and just wanders about.
"On this particular day, I was walking across the firm's car park, which is a private car park, when the dog warden approached and said he had been watching me for 10 minutes and that the dog had been off the lead on the pavement.
"I know it hadn't and I hadn't even been there for 10 minutes but he issued me with a £75 fine anyway."
She was then stunned to receive a summons for an interview under caution.
She said: "I don't know what to do. One part of me says pay the fine to get it over with but another says don't because I haven't done anything wrong.
"Then it ends up in court and with solicitors at £175 an hour I will end up out of pocket even more."
Lindsay is the third dog owner, all women, known be pleading their innocence.
A council spokesman said the new measures came into force in Exeter in February.
They cover: failing to pick up after your dog; failing to keep a dog on a lead on roads, pavements, footpaths and designated parks; allowing a dog within certain designated areas where dogs are excluded, like fenced children's play areas; and failing to put your dog on a lead when asked to do so by an authorised officer of the council.
Authorised officers have the power to require the name and address of any person who has breached a Dog Control Order for the purpose of issuing a fixed penalty notice.
It is an offence, triable in the magistrates' court, for a person either to fail to give that information or to give false or inaccurate information. On conviction, the magistrates may impose a fine of £1,000.
Robert Norley, Exeter City Council's head of environmental services, said: "There has been considerable publicity about the introduction of this power and the associated £75 fixed penalty. The orders are also detailed on the council's website.
"The council has taken appropriate steps to publicise the new order.
"This order was introduced to ensure that when dogs are being exercised adjacent to a road they are kept on a lead to prevent the dog straying into the road.
"Although people state that their dog was under control, if the dog had been distracted and ran into the road they would have limited means of preventing this."
This is just what the doctor ordered for the power crazed Town Clerk to introduce to the Town Council, and just like Lemmings that follow the leader over the edge of the cliff they will lift their hand in approval without a word of protest.
