Animal groups say no more than four pets should be taken out at any one time

Leading animal welfare organisations say no more than four pets should be taken out at once as councils continue to roll out £100 fines for dog walkers.

Dogs Trust, Pet Industry Federation, the RSPCA and Tailster worked together to produce a new set of guidelines to ensure high welfare standards in the unregulated profession of dog walking.

The Professional Dog Walkers’ Guidelines came as demand for the profession grows, with 13 per cent of dog owners admitting they rely on others to exercise their pets. 

The document is divided into three sections: dog welfare and behaviour, impact on the environment and others and professional conduct.

Dogs Trust, Pet Industry Federation, the RSPCA and Tailster worked together to produce a new set of guidelines to ensure high welfare standards in the unregulated profession of dog walking

Professional dog walkers are then given a series of pointers on how to best look after pets in their care when travelling in a car, exercising them, and walking with multiple dogs.

The guidelines state: ‘The maximum number of dogs that can be walked at any one time should not exceed the number stated in the walker’s insurance policy and comply with local authority requirements regarding the number of dogs. 

‘It is recommended that no more than four dogs are walked at any one time. 

‘All dogs under a dog walker’s care should be reliably under control at all times and transported in accordance with the guidance in this document.’ 

It is also recommended dog walkers have a lead for each animal and check each pet is fully vaccinated, wormed, and treated for fleas before embarking on a group walk. 

The new guidelines also give a suggested level of training for potential dog walkers.

According to the document, those in the profession should be ‘adequately trained to ensure the dog’s welfare’ and should not be under the age of 16.

It is also recommended that training courses and dog walking certificates are undertaken. 

The guidelines say no more than four dogs should be walked at the same time in the UK

The guidelines say no more than four dogs should be walked at the same time in the UK

RSPCA dog welfare expert Dr Sam Gaines said: ‘Dog walkers are currently unregulated and unlicensed meaning there are no checks on who these people are and how they ensure the needs of the dogs in their care are being met. 

‘We felt it was extremely important – not only for the welfare of dogs but also for dog walkers themselves – to produce a set of guidelines to ensure that dogs are always being well looked after and to guarantee that dog walkers know what is expected of them.

‘We hope these new guidelines will also help dog owners make informed decisions when choosing the right dog walker for them and their pet.’

To date only a small number of local authorities have introduced any form of regulation for dog walkers and, as such, it can be a postcode lottery in the quality of service provided.

Dogs Trust Veterinary Director Paula Boyden says: ‘The unregulated dog walking industry is a minefield for owners and we want to make it safer for all involved. Worryingly, almost 60 per cent of owners have no contract or legal agreement in place with their dog walker to protect them and their dog.

‘We have worked with the RSPCA and PIF to create a workable set of guidelines that can provide information for local authorities and provide a framework for dog walkers, as well as helping pet owners understand what they should expect from a suitable dog walker.’

The guidelines come as councils continue to roll out on-the-spot fines for those caught walking more than four dogs or travelling without poo-bags in the UK

The guidelines come as councils continue to roll out on-the-spot fines for those caught walking more than four dogs or travelling without poo-bags in the UK

The document is also designed to help dog walkers in England and Wales meet the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act.

This law, from 2006, states a dog walker is responsible for the animal while he or she is in charge of it. They do, therefore, have legal responsibilities and can be held criminally liable under the Act. 

The guidelines come as councils continue to roll out on-the-spot fines for those caught walking more than four dogs or being without poo-bags in the UK.

The canine crackdown in Devon recently made it an offence for dog owners not to pick up faeces straight away and to let dogs run into a banned area, the Express reported.

Anyone who breaches the conditions of this public spaces protection order could be liable for a £100 fine from April 1, 2019.

Similar fines were put in place by Manchester City Council in September 2017.

Council or police officers would ask people directly if they had a bag or a scoop on them to clear dog faeces up and, if not, they would be slapped with an on-the-spot £100 penalty.

Failure to pay that could land them in court and facing a £1,000 fine.

Boston Borough Council, Daventry District Council and Fife Council have also put these tougher rules in place over the past few years.

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