Responsible Ownership

Policy:  PAC believes that every owner of an animal has a duty to behave responsibly to ensure that their animal does not cause a public nuisance in any respect.  We support all campaigns to promote the responsible ownership message to the general public, and proper enforcement of relevant legislation.

Background:  If pet animals are to be accepted as an element of modern society with all the benefits that they bring, owners must ensure that they do not cause a general nuisance.  The most common complaints are of fouling of public areas by dogs, aggressive behaviour of dogs, barking, and fouling of gardens by cats.  Most of these issues are controlled by legislation and, when enforced appropriately they can be the last resort.