Professional Dog Walkers Face Backlash
over ‘Packs’ on Heath

based on an article by London
Correspondent Fiona Hamilton

1		Professional dog walkers are to				Times that complaints about packs
		be brought to heel in one of the				of dogs had been increasing
		country’s most popular open				steadily over the past two years.
		spaces. The managers of				“When people bring in excess of
		Hampstead Heath in North London				eight or ten dogs − and some
		are considering restricting the				people bring significantly higher
		number of dogs that can be				numbers than that − it is putting
		exercised on a single occasion at				some people off enjoying this open
		the heath, where up to 20 dogs at a				space. The dog walkers may have
		time are sometimes walked together				good control but when dogs start
		and let off their leashes. Other users				acting in a pack manner, their
		of the heath have complained that				playful behaviour can be
		they are unable to enjoy themselves				intimidating.” The number of
		because they find the packs of dogs				professional dog walkers has surged
		intimidating.				in recent years because they offer a
2		The City of London Corporation,				convenient service to owners who
		which controls 10,000 acres of open				are unable to exercise their pets
		space in the capital and its				regularly. Hampstead Heath, near
		surrounding counties, says dogs are				some wealthy neighbourhoods, is
		fighting each other and loads of				one of the capital’s most popular
		animals are being dropped off for				walking spots.
		exercise. It is considering a		5		Heather Pope, who has
		restriction on the activities of				been a professional dog walker on
		professional dog walkers, across all				the heath since 2005, said that a
		of its open spaces, to alleviate the				licensing system was a ‘knee-jerk
3		Under the proposal there would				reaction’. She said that most of the
		be a limit − likely to be six − to the				dog walkers on the heath were
		number of dogs that commercial				professionally trained and made
		operators could walk at any time. All				sure that the animals in their group
		professional walkers would have to				were well-suited and under control.
		gain a licence by undergoing				“If someone doesn’t like dogs they
		assessment to prove that they could				will complain even if you are
		control their dogs. The corporation				walking an anorexic Chihuahua.
		said that a professional licence, to				People just won’t live and let live.”
		be considered in the autumn, would				Ms Pope questioned the fairness of
		restore peace on the heath, where				an assessment regime and was
		there has been increasing tension				sceptical that the City of London
						would be able to police such a
						system.
				6		The Kennel Club expressed
						concern that an ‘anti-dog’ climate
						was developing around Britain. A
						spokeswoman said that councils
						had been given powers to control
						dogs in 2005 and were becoming
						increasingly strict. “The problem
						with restrictions is that every dog is
						different. To say that walking six
		between dog owners and other				Chihuahuas and walking six
		users. The suggestion has angered				Dobermans is the same thing is
		professional walkers, who claim that				really quite ludicrous. There are
		they are being unfairly blamed for				factors such as control that the
		trouble caused by individual dogs				walkers have and their relationship
		whose private owners are not				with the dogs, and these are
		properly controlling them.				different in every circumstance.”
4		Simon Lee, the superintendent
		of Hampstead Heath, told The				The Times, 2009