The Take the Lead campaign is now in its third year and is being
launched ahead of the start of the holiday season this Easter.
It is targeting local residents and visitors to the countryside and wants
to build on the success of previous years’ initiative.
The campaign includes production of videos that will be shared on social
media, features in the local media and online and direct engagement with people
visiting the county’s scenic countryside.
Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing, Regulation and
the Environment, said: “We were delighted by the success of last year’s
campaign and it seemed that people were listening to the message. We saw far
more people acting responsibly and taking their dogs on leads in the
countryside – and we would like to thank them for their efforts.
“However this is a kind of message that needs to be repeated time and
time again to gain its maximum impact, so we will be sharing our campaign
messages with locals and visitors and encourage the small minority who flout
the law to take action.
“We have seen some incidents where sheep have been injured or killed as
a result of attacks from dogs off their leads. We have spoken to farmers who
have lost sheep or have had their animals attacked. This really can be
avoided by working together with dog owners, sending home the message that dogs
should be kept on leads. We can really make a difference.
“We appreciate why people would want to go on walks in our scenic
countryside in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Many walkers bring dogs
with them and whilst we want that to continue, all we are asking is that people
respect the Countryside Code.
“There are plenty of warning signs and information about taking dogs on
leads and we will be out and about over the coming months talking to owners and
sharing our message to as wide an audience as possible."
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