Stray and out of control dogs

Dangerous dogs are the responsibility of the police. If you have a concern about a dangerous dog in your area please report it to Police Scotland on 101.

Out of control dogs

The council has powers to deal with dogs considered to be out of control. It is an offence to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control in any place, whether public or private. We can serve a Dog Control Notice (DCN) on the dog owner if the dog is 'out of control' which means:

• the dog is not being kept under control effectively and consistently
• the dog's behaviour causes alarm or apprehensiveness for a person's safety or the safety of another animal.

These are examples of potential out-of-control dogs:

• you are exercising your dog off-lead in a public park. It runs over to someone excitedly and playfully jumps up on them. If they are afraid of dogs they may be alarmed or frightened. If you step in immediately and command the dog to return to your side and the dog does so, the authorised officer would have to decide if the person's alarm was reasonable
• if you are exercising your puppy on a lead in a public park and it constantly ignores your command to heel, repeatedly pulls away and frequently lurches towards anyone who passes by, it may appear to be 'out of control', although it could be put down to pent up energy and excitement
• in homes with children there can often be a constant stream of friends and children playing which can over-excite dogs and puppies. This can often lead to chasing or nipping as they try to join in with the games. You need to be extra vigilant as these situations can quickly become out of control.

Dog Control Notices can include:

• getting the dog micro-chipped
• muzzling the dog whenever it is in a public place
• keeping the dog on a lead in a public place
• neutering male dogs
• keeping the dog away from a particular place
• attendance and completion of training in the control of dogs

Failure to comply could result in a fine of £1000.

You can report a stray or out of control dog to us on 0303 123 1015 or by completing our customer services enquiry form.