The problem
Dogs on children’s playgrounds represent a major health and injury hazard:
over 350,000 tons of excrement is deposited each year
over 100 people, mainly children, have eye diseases caught by swallowing the Toxocara egg each year. This is caused by the parasitic roundworm in dog faeces
There is evidence that dogs also carry e.coli and hepatitis in their faeces.
1600 children are taken to hospital casualty departments with dog bites
The law
There is no national legislation which requires people to ensure that their dogs do not foul children’s playgrounds or run loose on them. There is legislation which requires owners to control dangerous dogs and local authorities to clear up the mess (the Environmental Protection Act 1990).
Local authorities can also pass Byelaws to control the access and behaviour of dog owners on children’s playgrounds.