Professional Dog Walkers License - FAQs
The council has introduced a dog control Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). Details of the PSPO can be found on the council’s website. The dog control PSPO will be operational from 1 October 2025 and cover the whole of London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Guidance for Professional Dog Walkers
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As part of the PSPO, the council has limited the number of dogs that one person can walk at any time to four. A professional dog walkers license allows professional dog walkers to walk up to SIX dogs at any one time.
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- Evidence suggests that this is the maximum number of dogs that the average adult could be expected to control at any one time. This PSPO order has been introduced for public safety.
- To obtain a professional dog walkers license you / your business must meet a number of conditions. These include providing evidence of adequate insurance, skills and experience to safely walk up to six dogs at any one time.
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- Professional dog walkers may apply for a professional dog walking license. However, the maximum number of dogs you can walk at any one time with a professional dog walkers license is six. One person will not be able to walk more than six dogs at any one time even with a professional dog walkers license.
- If you are not a professional dog walker, you may consider applying to become a professional dog walker, or you will need to make alternative dog walking arrangements. For example, ensuring there is more than one responsible adult per four dogs or walking dogs on a rota.
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A license will enable a professional dog walker to walk up to SIX dogs at any one time. The council undertook a benchmarking exercise and found that local authorities who had brought in a maximum number of dogs PSPO order, the maximum number of dogs that they permitted being walked by an individual at any one time was SIX. The council wants to set a balance between supporting business and public safety.
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No. The Professional Dog Walker license allows for the walking of five or six dogs at any one time. If you will not walk more than four dogs at any one time, you will not need to obtain a Professional Dog Walker license.
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From 1 April 2026. This is because new fees and charges are introduced at the start of a new financial year.
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- Between 1 October 2025 and 1 April 2026, the council will waiver enforcing the four-dog limit for professional dog walkers.
- Professional dog walkers will be able to walk up to six dogs at any one time without a professional dog walkers license but must not walk more than six.
- Professional dog walkers can register their interest in obtaining the license by emailingHealthand.Safety@towerhamlets.gov.uk. The council will contact professional dog walkers known to us nearer the time with specific information about the license process.
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Enforcement officers are there to ensure that everyone can safely enjoy our green spaces and that dogs are walked responsibly, this includes professional dog walkers. If dogs remain in designated areas (not in gated children’s play areas or gated sports areas), enforcement officers will not take any action. However, if an officer sees a dog walker with five or six dogs, they may offer advice about how to register as a professional dog walker.
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See the professional dog walkers license page on the council’s website.
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A breach of a PSPO without a reasonable excuse is an offence. You will be issued with a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) if you do not comply with the PSPO when asked by an Enforcement Officer. If not paid, you may be prosecuted, for which the maximum penalty is a fine of £1,000.