Dogs: Facilities and rules

If you own one or more dogs, you must pay an annual dog tax. A new dog must be registered within 14 days of acquiring the dog. If your dog is no longer part of your household or has passed away, the dog must be deregistered within 6 weeks. When deregistering your dog, you will need to include proof that you no longer own the dog. You can register or deregister your dog online.

The link for registration or deregistration and extra information can be found on our website (in Dutch).

Within the city area

Within the city area, you must keep your dog on a leash and clean up after it. Dogs are not allowed in children’s play areas. You may only let your dog run off-leash in the designated dog play areas.

Outside the city area

• Outside the city area, your dog is allowed to run off-leash, unless there are signs that indicate that it must be kept on a leash.
• You must also clean up your dog waste when you are outside the city.
• You must always keep your dog on a leash in the area near the river.
• There is a designated off-leash area for dogs on the Wageningse Berg, which is marked by signs. In this area, your dog must respond to your commands in order to avoid problems with wildlife.

If your dog is allowed to run off-leash, it is especially important that you are considerate of others.

You must clean up after your dog wherever you are in Wageningen. You must also always carry a dog waste bag with you. The council provides free dog waste bags.

There are several reasons why it is important to clean up your dog waste:

• To protect the health of both humans and animals.
• To protect the environment and wildlife in Wageningen.
• To prevent the growth of wall barley, which is a troublesome weed. This plant has grass-like seed heads (grass awns) that are dangerous to dogs.

Dog waste should be put in the general waste bin (restafval) and not in the organic waste bin (GFT+E). You can dispose of dog waste in your own general waste wheelie bin or in any public litter bin. You can find the locations of these bins on the digital dog amenities map(Externe link) .

People with a physical disability are officially exempted from cleaning up dog waste. If you are physically unable to clean up the waste, you will not receive a fine.

You can file a report using the Public Space Report Form(Externe link) (in Dutch) choosing the heading ‘Handhaving’ (Local Enforcement).

Filing a report helps enforcement officers to know where their efforts are needed most. Please note that cleaning up dog waste is always the responsibility of the owner.

The council provides free dog waste bags at the following locations:

• All dog play areas.
• Huis van de Wijk De Pomhorst (community centre).
• Huis van de Wijk De Nude (community centre).
• Huis van de Wijk Ons Huis (community centre).
• The pet food bank.
• The food bank.

Dog waste bag dispensers are installed at all dog play areas. You can view all of the locations where you can pick up dog waste bags on the map(Externe link) .

• If your dog is off-leash: You could face a fine of € 110.
• If you fail to clean up your dog waste: You could face a fine of € 160.
• If your dog is in a children’s play area: You could face a fine of € 160. Children’s play areas include playgrounds and sandpits and are strictly off-limits for dogs. This rule applies even if your dog is on a leash. It does not matter whether the play area is not fenced off or surrounded by a hedge.

Wageningen has several dog play areas(Externe link) . Although your dog is allowed off the leash at these locations, you will still need to clean up your dog waste. The dog play areas are equipped with litter bins and free dog waste bag dispensers.

You can find dog play areas at the following locations in Wageningen

• Peppelensteeg
• Van Houtenstraat
• Beatrixlaan/Eikenlaan
• Wim Sonneveldstraat
• Kennedyweg/Asterstraat
• Geertjesweg/Jasmijnplantsoen

More dog play areas will be added in the future in the following areas

• City Centre: We are currently looking for a location in the city centre.
• Kortenoord: We are currently looking for a location in Kortenoord.
• Geertjesweg/Jasmijnplantsoen: This off-leash area is being moved to Meidoornplantsoen and will be included in the design of the new park.

• Keep your dog under control and respect each other’s space.
• Clean up your dog waste.

Dog play areas are places where people can get together to play with their dogs and train them. The municipality maintains these dog play areas. In some locations, the municipality does this together with the dog owners

If you or your dog has been bitten by a dog, or you have witnessed a biting incident, please report this incident by using our Public Space Report Form(Externe link) (in Dutch) choosing the heading ‘Handhaving’ (Local Enforcement).

When completing the form, please provide the following details:

• The date and location of the incident.
• Details of the incident, for example, whether it was a biting incident between two dogs, or between a dog and a person.
• Details of the damage and/or injury
• Details of the dog and the owner, if you know them.
• Photos of the injury and a report from a GP or vet, if available.
• Details of any witnesses.

Reporting an incident to the police

If the dog who did the biting was encouraged by its owner, or you suspect that this was the case, please report the incident to the police immediately.

Reporting the incident is important for your safety and the safety of others

You may be unsure about whether you should report the incident. Perhaps because the owner may have reacted kindly, the costs are being settled privately, or because you find it stressful to make a report. No matter the reason, we would still like to receive your report. You might not be the first person who experienced a biting incident with this specific dog. Making a report brings this matter to light. It is only by reporting the incident that we are able to assess whether measures are needed to guarantee public safety.

The dog owner’s third-party liability insurance (WA-verzekering) may cover the financial consequences of a biting incident. Please feel free to discuss compensation for the damage with the dog’s owner.

The wall barley plant has grass-like seed heads (grass awns) with tiny barbs. These seed heads can be very dangerous for dogs. Check your dog after every walk in the summer and autumn. Take extra care if your dog has a medium or long coat.

What do the seed heads do?

Wall barley flowers from June to October and produces grass awns. These awns have sharp barbs. They can get stuck iFn your dog’s fur or burrow deep into their skin. The awns can also get into your dog’s nose, eyes, ears, mouth, throat, oesophagus, or get stuck between their toes. This can cause nasty infections. In the worst cases, surgery is needed to remove the awns.

Where does this plant grow?

Wall barley mainly grows in warm places and in nutrient-rich soil. Examples of these areas include the areas between paving stones, the frequently mown grass verges next to footpaths, and also dog play areas. Leftover dog waste provides extra nutrients for the wall barley plant. This type of grass grows to about 50 cm high.

How can I tell if my dog has been harmed by seed heads?

You can check your dog for the following symptoms:

• Nose: The dog will sneeze a lot or frequently rub its nose with its paw.
• Eye: The dog’s eyes will be watery or it will rub its eyes.
• Ear: The dog will shake its head a lot, tilt its head, or yelp when it’s scratching.
• Skin: If a seed head becomes stuck between the dog’s toes, the dog will often limp or constantly lick the area between its toes.
• Throat: The dog will cough frequently.

What can I do to help my dog?

• Check your dog after every walk. Please note that this includes short walks around your own neighbourhood.
• Check the dog’s fur, eyes, ears, paws, nose, skin folds, and throat.
• Is the seed head visible? Remove it carefully with tweezers.
• Does your dog have symptoms that you can’t identify? Take your dog to the vet.
• Clean up dog waste. This is the exact type of waste matter that this plant thrives on. Cleaning it up is in the best interest of your dog.
• Have you found some wall barley? Pull it out and throw it in a rubbish bin. If everyone does this, we can prevent a lot of problems for dogs and stop the plant from spreading.