A REGISTERED blind man in Tavistock has unleashed his criticism on the recently enforced dog control order implemented by West Devon Borough Council and Tavistock Town Council claiming it is 'indirect discrimination' to people in his circumstances with assistive dogs.

The DCO was introduced by the council to help alleviate the amount of dog fouling in public areas. It makes it an offence for a person in charge of a dog to fail to remove any dog fouling and to keep the animal on a lead at all times; on moorlands dogs are also required to be kept on short fixed leads between March 1 and July 31 and at all times around livestock.

Dogs are also excluded from walled or fenced play areas such as bowling greens, tennis courts and children's play area.

Stephen Hartley, who lives in the town centre, feels that the DCO 'indirectly discriminates' against him because it curbs the amount of recreational exercise his three year-old Labrador cross retriever receives and he is concerned for his dog's welfare.

'Alfie is going to miss out and he is not going to get the amount of exercise he needs,' he said.

'Now, because I can't let him off the lead in the park he comes home after exercise and is still full of energy. He ends up chasing his own tail which is not a healthy sign.

'The dog control order does not reduce my quality of life but it does my dog; he's the one being discriminated against because he gets insufficient exercise and if it affects my dog therefore it discriminates me indirectly.'

The council has allocated Pearce's Meadow, part of the Meadows, to allow dog owners to exercise their dogs off the lead but Mr Hartley said that is not suitable for his requirements as a registered blind person.

'The pathway there is too narrow,' he said. 'I need a path wider so I feel secure in my footing. The moors are not easy for me to get to and the ground is very uneven so that is not an option either.'

What Mr Hartley would like is an exemption to the DCO.

'I can appreciate that normal dog owners feel they are probably suffering from the order as well as a registered blind person with an assistive dog but I believe it is within the council's power go give exemptions to people in my circumstances — just as other councils have around the country.'

In reply to Mr Hartley's comments a spokesman for West Devon Borough Council said: 'Earlier this year we consulted on the draft dog control orders and publicised this important issue widely to allow everyone a say before the orders were implemented.

'As part of the orders, Tavistock Town Council specifically asked that dogs were kept on a lead in the Meadows other than Pearce's Meadow.

'We certainly take on board Mr Hartley's view and will be contacting him to discuss it further.'

Neil Howe, the community engagement officer for Guide Dogs for the Blind in the South West, said his organisation had not, to his knowledge, been consulted by the council, which he thought would have been appropriate before the order was made.

'Guide Dogs For the Blind all over the country has been concerned that councils should be consulting the community and organisations such as ourselves before implementing the order.

'The best way forward is to do what other councils do and give exemptions for assistive dogs to be allowed to exercised.'