Controlling your dog in public

Please also see our dangerous dogs page (such as XL Bully or Pit Bull Terrier dogs)

As a dog owner you are responsible for ensuring your dog does not cause a nuisance or harm to other people, dogs or other animals while in your care. This includes making sure your dog does not run off, jump up at others, run into traffic or injure other animals. You must also pick up and correctly dispose of your dog's mess.

The vast majority of dog owners are responsible and considerate. However to address complaints about the behaviour of some dog owners and the problem of dog fouling, some areas within Adur and Worthing are covered by Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs).

In areas covered by PSPOs you may have to:

keep your dog on a lead
put your dog on a lead if you are asked by a police officer, police community support officer or someone from the Council
clean up after your dog (this applies to all public spaces)
stop your dog from going in certain areas
limit the number of dogs you have with you (no more than six)

Failure to respect these laws may lead to prosecution, which could mean a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. Some authorised Council officers can issue a Fixed Penalty Notice instead, which is a penalty of £100, with no criminal record. If such a Fixed Penalty Notice is issued and is then ignored, the case would be referred to the magistrate's court.

Places where you must keep your dog on a lead:

all streets in Adur and Worthing
all allotments
all car parks
all cemeteries and closed churchyards
Widewater Lagoon (Adur)
Adur Riverbank, from Brighton Road to Lower Beach Road, Shoreham-by-Sea (Adur)
Adur Ferry Bridge, Shoreham-by-Sea (Adur)
the promenade from George V Avenue to Windsor Road (Worthing)
the Pier (Worthing)
Denton Gardens (Worthing)
Beach House Park (except for a dedicated dog play area) (Worthing)
Field Place Grounds (Worthing)
Church House Grounds (Worthing)
Marine Gardens (Worthing)
Palatine Park (Worthing)
The footway adjoining the seashore at Goring-by-Sea between the slipway west of the Yacht Club and the slipway south of Seafield Avenue (Worthing)
Manor Sports Ground (Worthing)
Heene Terrace Gardens (Worthing)

Places where dogs are not allowed:

enclosed children's play areas
Highdown Gardens
the beach from Splash Point (end of Warwick Road) to Heene Road from 1st May to 30th September each year (Worthing)
the beach between the two boat launching ramps in Goring-by-Sea from 1st May to 30th September each year (Worthing)

Taking your dog on the beach

If you take your dog to the beach please keep them under control and clean up after them, using the dog bins provided. Dogs may be attracted to other peoples' food, which may include foods that can harm your dog. Some people using the beach may not feel confident around dogs, so please respect this and prevent your dog from running up to other people.

Adur: Dogs are allowed on all beaches in Adur throughout the year
Worthing: Between 1st May to 30th September the following areas of the beach are dog free. Both areas are clearly signposted:
- from 'Splash Point' (end of Warwick Road) to Heene Road
- between the two boat launching ramps in Goring-by-Sea

For maps of where you can take your dog on the beach see:

Dogs on the beach

Report a dog control incident

You can report a dog control issue or make a complaint or enquiry to us via our online portal:

After clicking the link you will need to register in order to submit a complaint or enquiry.
Once registered please click on 'Requests' - then 'Submit a Request Complaint'.
When entering complaint details please choose 'Dog Related Problems' under 'Request Subject'.

Report a dog control incident

To report an incident involving a dangerous dog please see:

Report a dangerous dog

Documents regarding PSPOs in Adur and Worthing

Please note: Due to the size and complexity of the map documents below they have not been accessibility checked. If you need assistance with the documents please contact the Dogs Team (contact details at the end of this page).