I would like the UK Government to introduce legislation requiring all dogs to be kept on a lead while in pub beer gardens and other enclosed outdoor seating areas at licensed premises.

This petition is prompted by a recent incident in my local pub beer garden, where a neighbour's cat was injured after being attacked by an off-lead dog. Although most dog owners are responsible and many dogs are well behaved, even friendly dogs can react unpredictably in busy environments where children, adults and other animals are present.

Recent incidents have highlighted the risks of dogs being off lead in pub beer gardens. For example, in July 2026, The Stoke Sentinel reported that a two-year-old boy suffered serious facial injuries after being attacked by a dog in a beer garden in Wolstanton. This demonstrates that pub beer gardens can present unique risks when dogs are not kept under close control.

Pub beer gardens are shared public spaces where families, dog owners and non-dog owners should all be able to feel safe. Requiring dogs to remain on a lead would help reduce the risk of attacks on people and other animals, prevent avoidable injuries, and support responsible dog ownership without preventing people from bringing their dogs to pubs.

Current legislation places responsibility on owners after a dog is dangerously out of control, but there is no consistent national requirement for dogs to be kept on leads in pub beer gardens to help prevent incidents before they occur.

I therefore ask the UK Government to introduce legislation making it mandatory for dogs to be kept on a lead in pub beer gardens throughout the United Kingdom, unless there is a clearly designated off-lead area.