Prague is preparing new rules for free walking of dogs. It will only allow him in any place
A decree is being issued in Prague, which will change the provision of rules for the movement of dogs on public greenery. The places where walking without a leash will be allowed will be determined in advance by the municipality and will be part of this regulation. The proposal will only be opened to public comments. Originally, the decree was supposed to apply from October 1, but it is already clear that its approval will be delayed. The city also requires regulation of the movement of dogs on the streets and squares.
Literally, the free running of dogs in “public greenery” is forbidden now. But public greenery means a well-defined list of plots. A significant part of green areas does not officially fall into this definition; in the cadastre they are kept, for example, as arable land or other areas.
However, the new draft decree stipulates that any piece of green space on the land of the capital, ie for example including housing estate greenery or tree lines, will be considered public greenery.
It would be possible to release the dog freely only in the places explicitly designated by the city. According to critics of the proposal, it could happen that in some areas there would be no greenery where it would be possible to walk the dog freely.
The prepared proposal to restrict the free walking of dogs will be included in the new greenery of the generally binding decree on the protection of public greenery. He is now untraceable to the public. “The draft decree has undergone an internal and external comment procedure and has not yet been submitted to the public for comments,” said Vít Hofman, a spokesman for the municipality.
The previous comments are now being incorporated by the municipal officials, mostly from the individual city districts. Then the proposal must be discussed by the city council and finally approved by the whole council. The draft decree is effective from 1 October this year. According to the councilor for the environment, Petr Hlubuček, however, the council will not be able to approve it so quickly.
“At the same time, we are dealing with the intention to adjust the rules for the movement of dogs in the city comprehensively, ie not only in public greenery, but also in other public spaces – especially in the streets and squares,” described his plans for the municipality spokesman Vít Hofman.
According to the authors of the proposal, the restriction of walking dogs without a leash is influenced by people; this year, for example, a dog on Petřín in Prague seriously bit a four-year-old boy.
“A person accompanying a dog in public greenery is obliged to lead the dog on a leash. The dog must be guided on a leash in such a way that the leash does not impede the movement of other people in the public green. Free movement of dogs without a leash is allowed only on areas reserved for this purpose by the owner of public greenery, “the proposal says.”
Similar rules for walking dogs are in place in other European capitals. In Berlin, in addition to the marked places, dogs have to move on a leash everywhere else. In Vienna, for example, all “potentially dangerous” dogs must be on a leash and wear a muzzle at all times.