Dog poop and leash laws
I will be moving to Grand Cayman and bringing my dog. Is there anywhere I can walk my dog or let him off the leash?
Auntie’s answer: Unfortunately, while there seem to be a lot of dog lovers in Cayman, it is not a particularly dog-friendly place. There are no dedicated dog parks on island and no place to legally let your pet off of the leash except, of course, in your own home or fenced-in yard.
Two sections of The Animals Law (2015 Revision) are relevant to your question. Section 26 addresses keeping dogs on a leash or a lead: “Every person keeping a dog shall ensure that such dog while in any highway or other public place is on a lead and is wearing a collar with an identification tag bearing licence number attached thereto.”
As long as the dog is on a leash, you can walk him or her anywhere on Cayman. However, you need to be sure to “scoop the poop” as it were. Section 43 of the same law says, “If a dog defecates at any time on any public place and a person who is in charge of the dog fails to remove the faeces from the public place forthwith, that person commits an offence unless he has a reasonable excuse for failing to do so.”
And just in case you were tempted to try this out, not knowing your dog has deposited said poop or being without a “device” to remove it, is not considered a good excuse for leaving it behind.
A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to fine of $2,000, so I recommend keeping some plastic bags available.
In case you have an issue with the poop of someone else’s dog, you can read a previous column on the subject (see What can be done about a neighbour’s dog poop?).
Lastly, if you would like to help out some pooch-related charities, here are a few to check out:
- Cayman Islands Humane Society
- One Dog at a Time (ODAAT)
- Cayman Animal Rescue Enthusiasts (CARE)
- Protection of Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
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Category: Animal Questions, Ask Auntie
1 47….very funny
Semen is what comes from a male. Big business in Denmark, Australia and the U.S. because of availability.
Seamen are the men that go in ships on the ocean.
Close but not the same spelling.
English and spelling the words and grammar are all difficult.
No pun intended with comes. A very inside joke.
All clean fun.
Watch out for recently “cleared” lots and construction areas where paraquat and other noxious and deadly herbicides are routinely sprayed. There are still warehouses of new old stock.
Some irresponsible dog owners walk their dogs on the beach and look the other way when the dog craps. Sometimes they brush a little sand over the crap making a disgusting land mine for someone to step on.
When confronted they pretend they were unaware.
I confess I am guilty! Sorry if you’ve ever found one of our landmines.
They poison dogs here so keep an eye when you are walking him, don’t let him eat you don’t give him. Not to scare you but it has happened more than once.
The rule is; you only have to pick it up if someone is watching.
I don’t let my dog go out alone. Lots of cars and some people in my area are known to leave poisoned / fish hooked meat to kill stray dogs. Better to be safe and keep him inside or chained up outside or if you have a fenced in yard that would work best.
The dog poop laws , are just the same as every other law , only worth anything when you’re in the Court house . They aren’t enforced outside.
What happened to the dog park Dart promised by public beach when they announced the Kimpton development years ago? And the public walking paths?
…and the Easter campground. Ken? Jackie?
Ha ha ha ha, oh the difference between the laws and the reality.
I recently brought my dog over from the UK. While the laws are pretty strict for dog ownership, unfortunately they are often flouted. It seems normal for dogs to be allowed to run loose in the street or chained up outside, and there are quite a few dogs that have become feral. The humane society does what it can, but they have so many dogs that really need a caring home.
We can’t walk our dog on our street as 3 houses have loose dogs that are territorial, and our dog is a whole female. When she is in season, the local dogs get very interested.
There are a few places you can walk a dog on a lead, but if you have an athletic breed that needs to run, you may end up breaking the leash laws, but don’t expect to be caught every time! Just be careful.
Dogs are not viewed or treated the same as in the UK, they are seen more as tools or status symbol by some, and few are trained or socialised. Don’t expect to be able to walk up to another dog with yours.
Spay your pet!
There should be laws about animals being brought from overseas that aren’t fixed. Like we need anymore animals, there aren’t enough people adopting!
She isn’t spayed because she’s a very good quality pedigree of a very rare breed, so we had always wanted to breed from her. However, the nearest kennels for her breed is thousands of miles away, so it probably won’t happen.
We are very careful with her, and would not allow an accident to happen. She’s our baby, and is treated as such.
I know many people aren’t willing or capable of keeping an unspayed dog responsibly, and will be landed with unwanted pups, but that’s not us.
That’s good and you’re right, most people won’t keep an eye on their pet to prevent it. But that’s the problem, the people who can’t control things screw it up for those that can.
Just something to consider if you are keen on breeding her. You could always import the seamen and have her artificially inseminated. I believe there is a vet on island who assists with this.
Import ‘seamen’?! LOL
Think we’ve plenty of seamen here already according to the pension payments!!!!