Improvements planned to clarify Delancey dog rules

Dogs are not allowed in children’s playing areas and must not roam free on the playing fields.

However, other areas of the park are not referenced explicitly in the 1992 ordinance, leaving some park users unsure as to how the law should be enforced.

Some people have taken to social media to complain about aggressive dogs, running wild in the park, and St Sampson’s constable Leonie Le Tissier said the parish was aware that complaints had been made.

‘We do take this seriously and are investigating how to deal with the issue. This is on the agenda for our next meeting,’ she said.

‘Signs were put up in the past but were removed or de-faced.’

She added there had been further confusion as the playing fields area was now unmarked and not regularly used directly for sport.

‘We are looking at putting a fence around the children’s play area to separate it from the rest of the park and several other improvements to the park are due to be discussed.’

The confusion with the rules was mirrored in the reactions of dog owners, although everyone the Guernsey Press spoke to agreed they had never had any problems with other dogs being aggressive while walking there.

Steph Topley was walking her parents’ two-year old springer spaniel Chester.

‘I am vaguely aware there is a rule about keeping dogs on leads here, but I’ve never seen any signs,’ she said.

‘I keep Chester on a lead as he’s a little crazy and is blind in one eye. I do try and keep him away from other dogs, but I’ve never had a problem with a dog in the park.’

One other dog walker, whose Scottish terrier was off the lead, said she had been walking him in the park for 12 years and never had a problem.

‘The vast majority of people walking dogs have their dogs under control and have good recall. If your dog is well-behaved and well-trained, it’s not an issue. You can have 10 or 12 dogs all saying hello to each other and it’s lovely.’

Willow, a springer spaniel, was also off the lead. Her owner said she was aware of the online discussion about dangerous dogs in the park.

‘The comments on social media have made me a little anxious about bringing my toddlers up to play, even though I’ve never had a problem when walking Willow,’ she said. ‘Sometimes the online discussion doesn’t help.’

Another walker had her five-month old puppy on a lead.

‘I live locally and always walk here,’ she said. ‘I’m aware of the rule that he needs to be on a lead but we keep him on as he is still needs to learn to be recalled. 99.9% of the dogs and owners we come into contact with are absolutely fine, unfortunately its the 0.1% that can cause problems.

‘It would really be difficult to enforce any rule about leads because you would basically need someone up here all day.’

In a campaign last summer the police said they had received 52 reports concerning dogs that have not been properly controlled by their owners across the island during the previous 12 months.

A spokesman said they were aware of one incident in the park that had been reported recently and referred dog owners to previous guidance stating that owners should know where there dogs were at all times.

If owners were in doubt a dog that would return to them promptly on command, it should be kept on a lead, they said.