Dog Control Information

Dog Control Orders

Photograph of an Irish Wolfhound

A suite of Dog Control Orders were introduced on the 1 January 2016 following public consultation.

These Orders updated previous Dog Control Orders held by the legacy council areas.

A second group of Dog Control Orders were publicly consulted upon during March 2016.

The Dog Control Orders (Prescribed Offences and Penalties etc) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (SR 2012. No 114)

Notice is hereby given that Mid and East Antrim Borough Council have made the Dog Control Orders listed below under the powers granted by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and associated regulations.

The Orders are:

1. The Fouling of Land by Dogs (Mid and East Antrim Borough Council) Order 2015

The Order will make it an offence for a person in charge of a dog not to remove forthwith faeces deposited by the dog, unless he has a reasonable excuse for failing to do so, or has the owner or occupiers consent for failing to do so.

The Order applies to all land within the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area which is open to the air and which the public are permitted or entitled to have access (with or without payment). 

The Order does not apply to land held by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for the purposes of any of its functions under the Forestry Act (NI) 2010.

2. The Dogs on Lead by Direction (Mid and East Antrim Borough Council) Order 2015

The Order will make it an offence for a person in charge of a dog to fail to comply with a direction given to them by an authorised Officer of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council to put and keep a dog on a lead, unless he has a reasonable excuse for not doing so, or the owner or occupier of the land has consented to him failing to do so.

The Order applies to all land within the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area which is open to the air and which the public are permitted or entitled to have access with or without payment.

3. The Dogs on Leads (Promenades and Cemeteries Mid and East Antrim Borough Council) Order 2015

The Order will make it an offence for any person when being in charge of a dog not to keep it on a lead of no more than 1.8 metres (6 feet) when in the cemeteries and on promenades listed below:

4. The Dogs On Leads (Carnlough, Ballygally and Browns Bay Beaches Mid and East Antrim Borough Council) Order 2015

The Order will make it an offence for any person when in charge of a dog not to keep it on a lead of not more than 1.8 metres (6 feet) when on the beaches listed below. 

The Order will apply from 11am until 6pm each day from the 1 June to the 31 August each year and on Public and Bank Holidays.

The Order applies to:

5. The Dogs on Leads (Peoples Park Mid and East Antrim District Council) Order 2016

The Order will make it an offence for any person when in charge of a dog not to keep it on a lead of not more than 1.8 metres (6 feet) when in People's Park, Ballymena.

6. The Dogs Exclusion ((Peoples Park Mid and East Antrim Borough Council) Order 2016

The Order will make it an offence for any person when in charge of a dog to allow it to enter or to remain on any land to which this Order applies, unless the person has a reasonable excuse for failing to do so, or has the owner or occupiers consent for failing to do so. 

7. Dog Control Order Exclusion Children's Play Parks Oct 2016

The Order will make it an offence for any person when in charge of a dog to allow it to enter or to remain on any land to which this Order applies, unless the person has a reasonable excuse for failing to do so, or has the owner or occupiers consent for failing to do so. 

8. The Dogs Exclusion (Carnfunnock Country Park Mid and East Antrim Borough Council) Order 2015

The Order will make it an offence for any person when in charge of a dog to allow it to enter or to remain on any land to which this Order applies, unless the person has a reasonable excuse for failing to do so, or has the owner or occupiers consent for failing to do so. 

The Order applies to certain lands within Carnfunnock Country Park as listed below:

  • Maze and Walled Garden                          
  • Family Fun Zone
  • Activity Centre Area
  • Golf Course
  • Main park entrance from Coast Road up to Carnfunnock Car Parks

Any person committing a breach of the above Orders will be liable upon prosecution to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale (currently £1,000). A fixed penalty notice of £120 (maximum) may be issued as an alternative to prosecution.

Copies of the above Orders and associated maps will be kept at the Council offices. 

The Orders will be open to public inspections without payment on week days, not being a public / bank holiday during normal office hours.