New dog control orders will come into effect across Antrim and Newtownabbey from January 2026.
They are being introduced to ensure consistency across the borough, covering dog exclusion areas, dogs-on-leads areas, dogs-on-leads-by-direction, and dog fouling.
From 1st January, dogs must be kept on leads in the Platinum Jubilee Garden area of Antrim Castle Gardens, and in the Coronation Garden at Hazelbank Park, Newtownabbey. Dogs will also be required to remain on leads in cemeteries and at the crematorium on Doagh Road, Newtownabbey. They will not be permitted in playgrounds, pitches, playing fields, allotments or sensory gardens at Antrim Forum and Hazelbank Park when the new restrictions are introduced.
Dog Control Orders generally apply to public land that is open to the air and can be made by district councils provided the order is a justified and proportionate response to problems caused by the activities of dogs and those in charge of them.
The penalty for committing an offence contained in a dog control order is a maximum fine of level 3 on the standard scale (currently £1,000). Alternatively, the opportunity of a fixed penalty of £80 may be offered as an alternative measure to prosecution.
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council Dog Control Orders:
Report a Dog Complaint / Concern