North Devon Council supports positive management for people with dogs in our towns, coast and countryside and wishes to promote responsible dog ownership.

Dogs are wonderful for people’s physical health and emotional well-being and if that goes hand in hand with responsible dog ownership there are brilliant benefits not just for people but also for the value, care and future protection given to our countryside, green spaces and the wildlife that live there. 

We're lucky to have plenty of beautiful open spaces to enjoy with our four-legged friends here in North Devon. While the majority of dog owners are responsible, there is unfortunately an irresponsible minority who do not pick up after their dog, or allow their dogs to run out of control. Details of enforceable dog controls that currently exist are available on our 'Dog controls' webpage.