Fife’s countryside is a great place to walk your dog. We want people who own a dog or are looking to own a dog in Fife to:
- Keep their dog on the lead in the countryside, particularly when near livestock.
- Keep their dog safe - there are dangers for dogs in the countryside.
- Be aware that any dog can become a danger to animals and wildlife.
- Always pick up after their dog
- Take responsibility for their dog - especially in spring when young livestock are particularly vulnerable.
Take the Lead asks dog walkers to be considerate and responsible and to keep their dogs under control. It also encourages dog owners to stick to designated paths to make sure that livestock, wildlife, horses, other birds such as wildfowl, peacocks and animals remain undisturbed.
During Spring, there are many pregnant and young farm animals living within our Fife countryside, as well as the arrival of ground-nesting birds. This makes it particularly important to keep dogs under control.
The campaign also encourages dog owners to take responsibility for getting rid of their dog's waste. Worms and diseases from dog waste can infect people, livestock and wildlife, and even pollute local water sources. By bagging it up and placing it in a bin, walkers will be helping to protect Fife’s Countryside and help other people to enjoy it too.
Take the Lead asks owners not to take a chance and to keep their dogs on leads. Fife Council Safer Communities Team and Police Scotland have joined up with other partners to ask all dog walkers to ‘Take the Lead’ and to keep their pets under control when out and about.
For more information, please contact safercommunities.projectofficers@fife.gov.uk