Jacqueline Boyd often used to take one of her dogs with her when she went into Nottingham town centre. A canine consultant and lecturer in animal science at Nottingham Trent University, Boyd has six cocker spaniels at her home in Newark-on-Trent. When she travelled into the city, she would bring one along to meet a friend, go to the Christmas markets, or even act as a therapy dog for her students during exam season. Now, she doesn’t bother: “I just don’t go near Nottingham city with my dogs because of all the orders.”
The orders she’s referring to are public spaces protection orders (PSPOs), used by local authorities to combat antisocial behaviour. PSPOs can restrict activities that councillors feel have “a detrimental effect” on the area, including alcohol consumption, begging, busking, rough sleeping, metal detecting, swearing – even climbing trees. But across England and Wales, one of the most common subjects of PSPOs is dogs.
