Prague quietly forbids the free running of dogs
The capital has finalized a decree on the protection of public greenery, which actually proves the movement of dogs without a leash. According to the law, it published the decree on its website, but during the holidays and without notifying the public, the deadline for sending comments expires this Friday. Prague did not address any association or other organization that unites dog owners in the capital when drafting the decree.
At the same time, the number of dog owners has been growing in recent years, probably in connection with the covid-19 epidemic. The year before, 86,000 dogs were registered in Prague with less than 78,000 owners, last year there were over 90,000 animals and 83,000 breeders. Another system fails because the animal registers due to lower fees outside the capital or they do not grant it at all.
The ban on free running of dogs is hidden in the decree on the protection of public greenery. It literally says, “Free dogs are banned in public green spaces.” There are exceptions to the ban, either in meadows, fields, and forests outside the built-up area of the city, or in well-defined areas. You can see which they are on the following maps:
Since the summer, the sentence that the dog must be on a leash has disappeared from the draft decree. However, it was replaced by the formula, according to which “without a leash, the dog must be kept in close proximity to the accompanying person so that it does not come into conflict with other users of public greenery and their dogs.”
If the dog is guided on a leash, the leash must not prevent other users of public greenery from moving. According to the forthcoming decree, the dog is not allowed to run legally.
“A stricter decree will not prevent excesses”
The ban on free running of dogs arouses strong emotions among members of the public. Dog breeders point out that in some parts of the city there are no areas for free movement of dogs. And they point to possible weaknesses.
“It is necessary that a stricter decree will not prevent excesses. It will only reduce the decent ones. The owners of those really problematic animals are usually problems themselves. And you will not be interested in the decree, “said Barbora Limrová from the Dog Party association.
“Trapping dogs will not reduce the number of conflicts or attacks, which are also minimal, but quite the opposite. The dog on a leash becomes more reactive. I am based on the experience of experts, for example, I was interested in the opinion of a professional dog trainer, Dr. František Šusty, who also commented on the previous draft decree, “adds Limrová. “Some dogs become aggressive when fastened on a leash, while at leisure they are completely calm. In most cases, it is a fear aggression, when they create a so-called safe space around them with a preventive attack. At leisure, the same dog can adjust the safe distance from an unknown subject so that he would rather retreat than attack. “
Although the Party has long been trying to negotiate with the city on the conditions for dog lovers, it only learned about the posting of the draft decree on the notice board at the last minute.
Of course, there are more opinions about the movement of dogs in the city even among dog owners. For example, Martin Matoušek, a cynologist from the training committee of the Czech Kennel Club, is more conciliatory with the text of the decree.
“I do not live in the city, so I am not directly affected by this problem. But I am in favor of keeping dogs under control. My dogs have a basket in town. It is possible to solve this today, for example, there are long flex guides. On the contrary, it bothers me when a foreign dog runs up to my dog, “he says.
What is public greenery
The municipality officially claims that no tightening is planned for dog owners.
“The regulation of the free movement of dogs in public greenery does not change fundamentally. Already today, the free movement of dogs in public greenery is generally prohibited and is allowed only on areas marked with pictograms by the owner of public greenery, “said Vít Hofman, a spokesman for the municipality.
Some dogs become aggressive when fastened on a leash, while at leisure they are completely calm. In most cases, it is a fear aggression, when they create a so-called safe space around them with a preventive attack. At leisure, the same dog can correct the safe distance from an unknown subject so that he would rather retreat than attack.
Under current rules, they are really not allowed to run freely in the public greenery. However, not every piece of green space in Prague is considered public greenery in terms of regulations. According to the generally accepted interpretation, it is now the greenery to look for land that is so marked in the real estate cadastre.
Much of what the public considers to be public greenery is officially something completely different, especially “other area” with “other area” functions. The current ban on free running of dogs does not apply to this. Land marked in this way often forms a substantial part of city parks. And because few people know exactly where “public greenery” is and where it is not, there is little enforcement in practice of banning the free movement of dogs.
Public greenery should be understood as follows: city parks, green areas in squares, street greenery, including tree lines and flower beds, housing greenery and other green areas forming part of public space, including all roads in these areas. In practice, dogs should not run freely not only on the lawn in the parks, but also in no alleys or on the roads.
In the summer, the decree went through a comment procedure, when the Ministry of the Interior and individual city districts came to you, for example. At the end of the summer, politicians announced that the decree would not be ready for the elections, but in the end they posted the decree over the Christmas holidays, when few people follow local politics. Possibility submission of a comment January 7, in January, the decree would end voting council.